Transformers: Gods Among Us season 1
by Bendatron
Summary: Optimus Prime and his team of Autobots defend Earth from the Decepticon forces that threaten it; but after eight years, they discover that Megatron's return is imminent and that he has greater plans than ever before. In the fight to survive and protect the Human race who have no idea of their existence, they will encounter deadly enemies and unexpected allies along the way.
1. The Story Begins part 1

**Author's note** : Hey everyone; this is my take on a Transformers series. It will have elements from previous Transformers continuities whilst also adding a bit of my own touch to them.

I hope you all enjoy it and please remember to review.

" _Near the beginning of the universe, Cybertron was created. As it formed, we were formed as well. Over the millennia that passed, we built our civilization and lived in peace until we were divided over power and the war started, between the Autobots who fought for freedom...and the Decepticons who dreamt of tyranny. Our war ravaged Cybertron until its core shut down and left the planet a graveyard. Many of us were forced to move offworld, searching for a new home...and a means of reviving our home. But, we were not alone. The Decepticons followed us in an attempt to revive it themselves and take it over. We fought for years and years until we reached a planet called...Earth"_

 _South Dakota, 2016_

A white, blue, and red Porsche 918 drove along badlands of South Dakota. Its radio was playing _The Touch_ by Stan Bush. However, this was no ordinary vehicle. On various areas, it had a symbol on itself of a robot's face. It was then that a voice came in on its radio.

"Optimus Prime to Jazz, what is your status?" said the voice.

"Not so much at the moment, Prime" replied the car "Must've been a false trail because I can't see any signs of energon depos—" It was then that a beeping noise was heard on its radio. "Hold that thought" He drove over to a hillside. A small transparent crystal colored blue stood on the ground in front of him. It was then that the car's form transformed into a robot with a blue visor lens over its eyes. He walked over to the crystal and picked it up. "Where there are breadcrumbs…" He walked onto the top of the hill and looked down. There was a small clearing filled with large blue crystals. A bunch of robots were down in the clearing cutting off pieces of the crystals. These robots were a light shade of purple and had two sets of red visors. Above the clearing lay a sinister looking black warship. "…there's always the cake" He sprinted down the hill. "Jazz to Optimus, turns out the trace wasn't as false as I thought. We've got ourselves a whole mound of the stuff, but it seems the Cons got to it first. To think; after all these years, we happen to stumble across them mining for energon"

"Do not engage them" said Optimus's voice through his comlink "Stay where you are and do not draw attention. We'll come as soon as we can" It was then that Jazz heard a noise. He turned to find that several other robots were standing there with blasters pointed at him. These ones were black in color and had a single V-shaped optic. A black and white robot with red optics walked up to him.

"Well; look what we have here" said the robot "Optimus Prime's trusty sidekick Jazz"

"Scrap!" said Jazz.

 **The Story Begins pt. 1**

"We spent so much time lurking in the shadows that I almost forgot what it's like to have an Autobot at your mercy" said the robot.

"Nice to see you too, Barricade" said Jazz sarcastically.

"Commander Starscream, we've discovered an Autobot spying on our operation" said Barricade into his comlink "It's Jazz"

 _Meanwhile aboard the Nemesis_

On the bridge of the warship stood a skinny red and white robot with red optics and a pointed chin.

"I want no witnesses" snapped the robot "Destroy him!"

 _Meanwhile_

"Acknowledged" said Barricade "Blast him!" His hand turned into a blaster and he and the Vehicons (the other robots) started shooting at Jazz who dodged the shots.

"What a mess you've gotten yourself into" said Jazz to himself. His hand turned into a blaster and he started shooting back. "Jazz to Optimus, you know that backup you promised me; you may wanna' speed things up a bit. I've been spotted"

"Hold on Jazz" said Optimus through his comlink "We'll be there shortly" Jazz transformed and rammed himself into several Vehicons before transforming back into robot mode.

 _Meanwhile_

Another robot entered the bridge. This one resembled Starscream (the red and white robot) except it was female and was colored violet and teal.

"What's going on?" said the robot. Starscream jumped a bit as he turned.

"None of your concern, Slipstream!" snapped Starscream.

"Really?" said Slipstream "Trouble with the mining, huh?"

"A lone Autobot nuisance" said Starscream "Which we will clean up"

"Unless he's already called for backup" said Slipstream.

"Then the Autobots shall meet their doom" said Starscream. He pressed the ship's intercom button. "Thundercracker, Skywarp, Lugnut; we have spotted the Autobot Jazz. Destroy him immediately!"

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz held his own against Barricade and the Vehicons, but he was being pushed back towards the energon mounds. It was then that he noticed that three more robots stood atop the _Nemesis_ jumped off and landed on the ground in front of the energon. The first two looked exactly like Starscream except that one was blue and the other was black and purple. The third one was large, bulky, and had one large red optic with four smaller optics. He was deep purple and dark green in color.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp, Lugnut" said Jazz.

"You will not escape, Autobot!" snarled Lugnut (the large one). He then noticed that Barricade and the Vehicons had surrounded him. All of them had their weapons pointed at him.

"Well; looks like there's no getting out of here now" said Jazz. It was then that he heard a noise. He looked up into the sky and saw a bronze and teal Eurofighter Typhoon flying towards him. He smirked. "Or perhaps there is" The jet transformed into a robot with blue optics who landed on top of one of the Vehicons from behind. A white and black 2016 Aston Martin Vanquish police car and a white 2016 Maserati GranTurismo with green and red stripes drove up and transformed into robots. The police car one wore a blue visor similar to Jazz's except that it was more pointed whilst the other one had normal blue optics.

"What is this!" said Skywarp (the black and purple one).

"I believe the term is "the cavalry"" smirked Jazz.

"You should be more careful next time" said Prowl (the police car one).

"I was" said Jazz "I just had some bad misfortune"

"Is there any other kind?" said Breakaway (the jet one). A forest green Land Rover Discovery Sport and a red 2016 Dodge Ram drove up towards the clearing. Following behind them was a red and blue Kenworth W900 semi-truck. The first two vehicles transformed into a pair of bulky robots (the green one notably with a large lower jaw and the red one notably with a scar on his right optic and a pair of cannons on his forearms) and started shooting at the Vehicons. The semi-truck drove up and transformed into a large robot wearing a battle mask across his mouth.

"Optimus Prime!" snarled Lugnut.

"Good to see ya', Prime!" said Jazz "I almost thought you wouldn't make it"

"An Autobot never leaves one of their own, Jazz" said Optimus (the truck one).

"My lord will be pleased when I tell him that I destroyed you!" snarled Lugnut. His hand turned into a small red panel.

 _Meanwhile_

"What!?" exclaimed Starscream.

 _Meanwhile_

"You don't want to do that, Lugnut" said Optimus "If you hit any of the energon, you risk destroying all of us"

"It would be worth it to know that I had vanquished you, Prime!" snarled Lugnut "Now die!" He charged at Optimus who dodged out of the way and sent him crashing into an energon crystal.

"This isn't good" said Bulkhead (the green robot).

"Autobots, retreat!" said Optimus. The Autobots sprinted off just before the energon exploded in a giant blue cloud. They watched as the _Nemesis_ flew away.

"Woo; that was a close one!" said Jazz.

"Next time wait for backup before engaging the enemy" said Prowl.

"C'mon, Prowl; we both know that I had no choice" said Jazz "The Cons ambushed me the moment I arrived"

"Nevertheless; you almost died and can't afford to lose you" said Prowl "We already lost so many in the war"

"There are greater things at hand, Prowl" said Optimus as his battle mask retracted "The abrupt reemergence of the Decepticons could mean only one thing—Megatron"

"I thought we heard the last of that scrapheap when he left Earth" said Ironhide (the red robot with the cannons) who spoke in a southern accent.

"It has been eight years since we last saw him" said Optimus "I knew that his leaving was only to further his plans"

"Well; what're we gonna' do?" asked Wheeljack (the white one with green and red stripes) who spoke in a Brooklyn accent.

"For the moment we will wait" said Optimus "Whatever Megatron is planning, we will have find out in time"

 _Meanwhile_

"You fools!" snarled Starscream. Standing before him were the charred Thundercracker, Skywarp, and Lugnut. Barricade had just got out of the explosion's area so he was less damaged. "That mound was one of the greatest energon deposits we had found in a long time; it could've lasted ages but thanks to you it is all gone!"

"The sacrifice of the energon was worth it if it meant the death of Optimus Prime and his fellow Autobots" said Lugnut.

"Which you also failed to accomplish, Lugnut; so there's no reason to go on about it like an achievement" snapped Starscream "In fact, it is thanks to you that all that energon is gone; so much for the _glorious_ sacrifice"

"The Lord Megatron understands the values of sacrifice" said Lugnut "Something that you do not, Starscream"

"Well; he's not here" snapped Starscream "In the meantime, I am in charge and all of your victories are only victories when I say they are. You are dismissed!" The three of them left the bridge.

"You sure went hard on them" said Slipstream. Starscream groaned.

"That blasted Lugnut!" snarled Starscream "The loyalty to Megatron I can somewhat tolerate, but the stupidity!"

"Relax, brother" said Slipstream "No use crying over spilled energon" Starscream merely growled. If there was one thing he hated more than loyalty to Megatron it was Slipstream patronizing him. It was then that a skinny sapphire-colored Decepticon with a battle mask that covered most of his face entered the bridge.

"What is it, Soundwave?" said Starscream.

"I have sent Laserbeak on patrol" replied Soundwave in a vocoder voice "If there are any lone Autobots out he will inform me of them" Starscream smiled wickedly.

"Perfect!" said Starscream.

 _Meanwhile_

Vehicons rampaged through a war-torn city reducing the surroundings to ruin. At that moment, a yellow 2016 Suzuki Swift with black stripes speed through the streets at them. He suddenly transformed into a robot with blue optics and his hand turned into a double-barreled blaster and he shot several of the Vehicons before landing on his feet.

"Yeah!" said the robot "That's showin' 'em!" However, countless other Vehicons started surrounding him. Suddenly, one of the Vehicons was rammed down by a magenta 2016 Yamaha YZF-R1 which then transformed into a smaller female robot with blue optics.

"Another fine mess you've gotten us into, Bumblebee" said the female robot.

"You know me, Arcee" said Bumblebee (the yellow robot).

"All too well I'm afraid" said Arcee (the magenta robot). Her hands turned into blasters and Bumblebee's other hand turned into another double-barreled blaster and they started shooting down all the Vehicons.

"They weren't so tough" said Bumblebee. The ground beneath them began to quake. A giant tripod walker started walking towards them.

"There's always something else" said Arcee.

"We can take it" said Bumblebee "Just…follow my lead" He ran up to the walker and leapt onto one of its legs and climbed up it.

"Always taking the first move" said Arcee. She ran after Bumblebee and leapt up onto the walker as well. Bumblebee's hand turned back into his blaster and he pointed it at the cockpit of the walker and shot. However, the shots were deflected.

"Scrap; blaster-proof shielding!" said Bumblebee. He looked down at Arcee who was still climbing up the leg. It was then that an idea popped into his head. "Of course; Arcee, aim for the leg joints. Without its legs it'll become unbalanced and fall over"

"Great idea!" said Arcee. Her hands turned into her blasters and shot at the leg joints until they were destroyed causing the walker to fall over. Bumblebee landed first on his back with Arcee falling on top of him. For a brief moment, the two's optics met awkwardly.

"Uhhhh…" said Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously with slight blushes.

"End program" said Bumblebee. The surroundings around them faded away into that of a large room. The two got themselves up and exited the room. They walked into another room where a white and orange robot stood at the controls of a large computer.

"Finished your training program, I see?" said Ratchet (the robot at the controls).

"Finally" replied Bumblebee "So when are Optimus and the others coming back?"

"Very shortly" replied Ratchet. He walked over to a panel, typed into it, pulled its lever, and a green portal opened. The other Autobots entered through it.

"Ratchet, check up on Jazz" said Prowl.

"Trust me, I'm fine" said Jazz "Just a scratch or two"

"The Decepticons gave you a lot of damage" said Prowl "It'd be best to have you checked up"

"It's been almost seven years" said Ratchet "They must have been planning something big in their time hiding"

"I will contact Agent Bluestone to inform him of this recent discovery" said Optimus "If the Decepticons are becoming more active, the government needs to know" Arcee started making her way to the exit.

"Where are you going?" asked Prowl.

"Just for a drive" replied Arcee "A lot of stuff just came up and I need to clear my head" She transformed and drove off.

"Optimus, if the Decepticons are active and targeting us, it may not be the best idea to go out alone" said Prowl "For the time being, it may best for each Autobot to be accompanied by another whenever outside the base. Someone will have to catch up with her"

"I volunteer!" said Bumblebee.

"I admire your eagerness, Bumblebee" said Prowl.

"Thanks!" said Bumblebee "We'll be back!" He quickly transformed and drove off.

"Wait!" said Prowl "Not how I wanted it to go"

"Patience, Prowl" said Optimus "Bumblebee is young and he still has much to experience; but he has great courage, he just wants to prove himself. He reminds me of you at that age"

"What are you talking about?" said Prowl "I wasn't anything like that; I actually…obeyed orders"

"So does he" said Optimus

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee drove down a long highway in Nevada.

"Mind if I join you?" said a voice. Bumblebee drove up to her.

"And who gave you authorization to do that?" asked Arcee.

"Optimus actually" replied Bumblebee.

"Well; you'll just have to patrol someplace else" said Arcee. She accelerated faster. "I'm taking this one solo"

"Wait!" exclaimed Bumblebee whilst accelerating up to her "Prowl actually thinks it's better if someone were to accompany you"

"Really?" said Arcee.

"It's not what it sounds like" said Bumblebee "It's because; with the Cons back, we need to be extra prepared for attacks"

"I appreciated the concern, Bee; but I've got this" said Arcee "So let me handle this"

"Prowl suggested it" said Bumblebee.

"And since when have you ever taken his advice?" said Arcee

"Good point" replied Bumblebee "It's going to take more to convince you, isn't it?"

"Yup" replied Arcee. What neither of them had noticed was that a large black and red mechanical condor with large red eyes soared over them silently and vigilantly. He was Laserbeak, Soundwave's recon deployer, and he had caught sight of them.

 _Meanwhile in the suburbs of Carson City_

A young caucasian girl with blue eyes and blonde hair walked down the streets. She stopped at a TV store. The televisions in the window were playing a talk show.

" _Aliens among us:_

 _Are we being invaded?"_

An image of Bumblebee in vehicle mode appeared on the screen.

" _This picture is one of many that have gone viral"_

The Autobot insignia on Bumblebee was highlighted.

" _Various vehicles spotted around the world all with a similar logo._

 _Tonight, we have been able to hold of a government agent to answer the question._

 _Ladies and gentleman, please welcome Special Agent James Bluestone"_

The audience applauded as the camera turned towards a man with black hair and brown eyes who wore a black and white suit. The girl smirked.

"Sure; listen to the government agent—the one who'll cover it all up" smirked the girl.

"Thank you; very pleased to be on the show" said Bluestone.

" _Very pleased to have you on the show, Agent Bluestone"_

"Please; call me James" said Bluestone.

" _So; what are your thoughts on this phenomenon?"_

"What; the logos appearing on vehicles?" said Bluestone "Isn't it obvious? It's just a hoax, is all. A hoax by teenagers; those are obviously just stickers"

 _So; you don't think they're alien?"_

"I'll tell you something; if you've been in my line of work for as long as I have, you'll keep people talking about stuff they think is aliens like logos on cars or crop circles but it always turns out to nothing more than just stickers or drunken rantings or the light shining at a particular angle…heck, even swamp gas" said Bluestone.

" _And what's your opinion on the rumors that the government is covering all this up?"_

"Absolute rubbish" said Bluestone "Why would our government or any government for that matter do that?" It was then that the girl's cellphone began to ring. She pulled it out of her backpack and answered it.

"Hey mom" said the girl "Don't worry; I'll be home soon, I'm almost there...uh-hah…alright, see you home, bye" She placed her cellphone back in her bag and continued down the street.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl stood in the training room silently. He got out a blindfold and placed it over his visor lens.

" _Teletraan_ , load training program 30" said Prowl.

" _Processing_

 _Warning: This program is well above the last training program you used._

 _Do you still wish to proceed?"_

"Positive" replied Prowl.

" _Loading program"_

Various holographic Vehicons appeared around him and pointed their blasters pointed at him. They started shooting at him but he dodged their shots. His hand turned into a blaster and he shot one in the head then kicked another one over with his foot.

" _Teletraan_ , end program" said a voice. The Vehicon holograms disappeared. Prowl pulled the blindfold off to find Jazz standing before him.

"Jazz, what are you doing here?" asked Prowl.

"Optimus sent me to get you" replied Jazz "He says he'd like to talk to us privately"

"Alright; I'll just have to continue this later" said Prowl. He and Jazz walked out of the training room.

 _Meanwhile in Optimus's quarters_

Optimus sat on his bed holding a hologram of himself and a female Autobot. He briefly closed his eyes before he heard a knock on the door.

"Optimus, it's Prowl" said Prowl's voice "We're here" Optimus turned the hologram off and put it away before standing up and opening the door. Prowl and Jazz entered. "You wanted to talk with us, Prime?"

"Yes" replied Optimus "Prowl, Jazz; you are two of my most trusted soldiers, so I feel like I should talk to you about it first. As you know; it has been eight years since we last saw Megatron. Our Human allies have come to believe that he has left Earth for good. If only that were true"

"Perhaps he is coming back" said Jazz "But why are you telling us about it alone?"

"Because whatever happens, we need to defend this planet and its inhabitants" said Optimus "Megatron will never quit unless what he has achieved it or destroyed it"

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Jazz "I mean; everything you just said is pretty much common knowledge"

"I just feel…better talking about it to someone" replied Optimus

"Optimus; if his return is inevitable and if Humans are going to be in danger, do you think we should get additional help?" asked Prowl.

"Meaning?" asked Optimus.

"We both know that the Humans can stand up for themselves if they need to" said Prowl "If we get their military involved, we just might be able to turn the tide of this war"

"I am afraid we cannot do that" said Optimus "Military involvement will only cause more problems; and the last thing we need is for the Humans to get caught in the middle of our war"

"Bold thinking" said Prowl "But we both know that they were caught in the middle of it the day we landed on Earth"

"Prowl, Optimus is right" said Jazz "It's bad enough that the Humans are in danger by our presence; if they became a danger to themselves, it'll only make things worse"

"Whatever" said Prowl. He turned and left.

"Prowl, wait" said Jazz before Optimus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Let him leave, Jazz" said Optimus "He needs time"

"If only we all had time, that is" said Jazz "Megatron's coming back and we may not be prepared for whatever he's got planned"

"We're never prepared for what he has" said Optimus "But no matter what happens; Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost"

 _Meanwhile_

Soundwave's battle mask had retracted to reveal a screen showing Laserbeak's view of Bumblebee and Arcee driving.

"It's always the youngest who are easiest to kill" said Starscream "Do we have any nearby troops?"

"Barricade is on patrol only a few kilometers away from their current location" replied Soundwave.

"Perfect" said Starscream "Contact him"

 _Meanwhile_

Barricade sped along the road in his vehicle mode (which was a black and white 2016 Dodge Charger police car) with two Vehicons (whose vehicle modes were black Mercedes-Benz SLS AMGs).

"Barricade" said Starscream through Barricade's comlink.

"Yes Commander Starscream" said Barricade.

"We have discovered Autobots near your position" said Starscream "We're sending their position to you now; deal with them!"

"On my way, Starscream" said Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee drove towards the suburbs with Bumblebee close behind. A holographic driver appeared on Arcee's seat.

"You're not gonna' give up, are you?" said Arcee.

"Nope" said Bumblebee "Once I agree to a job, I'm gonna' get it done"

"You've always been like that" smirked Arcee. It was then that Barricade and the Vehicons turned around the corner and started following them silently.

"Heads up; we've got a Con on our tail" said Bumblebee "Looks to be Barricade and it seems he brought friends"

"Try to act normally" said Arcee "None of us want to draw attention to ourselves"

"Us more so than them" said Bumblebee.

"Let's just go with the flow and see if we can lose them" said Arcee. They drove along the road until they reached a large and almost full parking lot. "We'll see if we can lose them in here" They drove off to find separate parks (with Arcee turning her holographic driver off). It was about that time that the girl came walking by the parking lot near where Arcee was parked. She noticed the Autobot insignia on Arcee and stopped in her tracks. It was then that Barricade and the Vehicons arrived.

"So; they're hiding in plain sight" said Barricade "There are no Humans in sight; we can continue this in robot mode" He and the Vehicons transformed and started searching the vehicles.

"Cool" said the girl. She got out her phone from her backpack and took a picture with it.

"Come on Autobots" said Barricade whilst searching each of the cars one by one "You can't hide in there forever" He finally reached Bumblebee, recognizing the Autobot insignia. He smiled evilly and his right hand turned into a clawed saw. "Got ya'!" Bumblebee instantly reversed and knocked Barricade into another car and drove off.

"Arcee, I've been discovered; we better get out of here" said Bumblebee into his comlink as he sped out of the parking lot. Arcee reversed out of parking and sped off after him.

"Hey!" said the girl. Barricade and the Vehicons bounded after them.

"Stop them!" snarled Barricade. He and the Vehicons transformed and sped after them.

"Huh" said the girl. It was then that she heard a loud booming wind current come towards her. A large purple and dark green B-2 Spirit flew down towards her and transformed into Lugnut.

"Filthy Human!" snarled Lugnut. A large double-barreled missile launcher retracted out of his right wrist and he pointed it at the girl. "You are an associate of the Autobots! Surrender to the Decepticons or face your doom!" Bumblebee caught sight of this in his rear view mirror and quickly spun around and rammed into Lugnut. He opened his door up.

"Get in!" said Bumblebee. The girl just stood there. "Look; I know you must be confused, but you're in danger and there's no time to explain. Get in, now!" The girl got into him quickly and they drove off.

"So…your one of those alien vehicles" said the girl.

"What do you mean?" asked Bumblebee.

"Well…driving by yourself, possessing one of those logos; you guys are on pretty much every conspiracy site and talk shows around the world" said the girl. Bumblebee sighed.

"Look, I'm not really supposed to do this; but you're in danger, I couldn't stand by" said Bumblebee "So after I get you to safety, you have to promise never to go looking for us again or tell anyone"

"Speaking of which; why did that robot try to attack me?" asked the girl.

"Okay; some of us of good aliens, others not-so-good aliens" said Bumblebee "We protect the world from the bad aliens like them and they must have thought you were with us. Hey Arcee, I've got to make a quick stop; try to lure the Cons somewhere they can't hurt any Humans"

"On it" replied Arcee. She drove back and started bumping into the three Decepticons. Whilst they were distracted, Bumblebee quickly drove into an alleyway, stopped, and opened his door.

"This is where you get out" said Bumblebee. The girl got out and closed the door behind her. "Remember what I said" He reversed out and rejoined the chase.

"What was the stop for?" asked Arcee.

"Just a little Human interference that I had to get to safety" said Bumblebee.

"You know Prowl's not gonna' like this" said Arcee.

"Which is why we're going to explain it to Optimus first" said Bumblebee. They reached an abandoned construction site, drove into it, and transformed. Barricade and the Vehicons followed them in and transformed as well. Lugnut flew down, transformed, and landed in front of them.

"You were very foolish to take us on alone, Autobots!" snarled Lugnut as his right hand turned into a power mace "Now you will DIE!" He rushed towards them but they leapt aside causing him to ram into incomplete structure which was instantly crushed causing it to trap him. Barricade's hand turned into his claw saw.

"Destroy them!" snarled Barricade. The Vehicons right hands turned into blasters and they started shooting. Bumblebee and Arcee's hands turned into their blasters and they shot back. Barricade lunged towards Bumblebee, searing into his chest with his saw. Bumblebee grabbed hold of his forearm and threw him down into a pit. Barricade transformed and sped up towards Bumblebee, ramming into him. Bumblebee got himself up as Barricade transformed and the two started scuffling again. Arcee charged up to the Vehicons. Her blasters turned back into her hands and a pair of blades retracted out of her wrists and she started beating the Vehicons with them. She successfully knocked both of them out. Suddenly, Lugnut arose from the rubble and shot a missile into her back, blasting her forward and knocking her out.

"Arcee!" exclaimed Bumblebee. Barricade punched him in the face and knocked him out.

"Pathetic!" snarled Barricade "What a waste of energon" Lugnut walked over to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I overheard Starscream talk about the Autobot targets so I decided to search for them" replied Lugnut.

"Well; it was my job" said Barricade "I was handling it; I don't need your interference. At least I managed to get the job done"

"But you forgot their accomplice" said Lugnut.

"Excuse me?" said Barricade.

"The Autobots had an accomplice" said Lugnut "A Human female; she must have gotten away"

"Doesn't matter" said Barricade "My orders were to take out the Autobots, not to take in Humans"

"Well; I'll find her myself" said Lugnut. He transformed and flew off.

"Take these two back to the _Nemesis_ " said Barricade "I'll call for a ground bridge"

"But Barricade, our orders were to destroy the Autobots" said one of the Vehicons.

"I'm changing the orders" said Barricade. Up in the air above them, Laserbeak flew around squawking evilly with the sun beaming off his Decepticon insignia.

 _To be continued..._

 **Author's note** : So this is the first chapter; I just want to let you know that I'm open for advice, so feel free to give me some if you want to. I would also like to note that I was unsure of the name of the series so I am open for new ideas for it. Until next time.


	2. The Story Begins part 2

**Author's note** : Sorry if it took too long but I suffer from writer's block and need time to think things through. Anyways, thanks for all the positive feedback, I really appreciate it :)

Starscream stood aboard the _Nemesis_. Barricade entered.

"You summoned me, Commander Starscream" said Barricade.

"Indeed I did" said Starscream. He turned to Barricade and walked over to him. "Tell me; how come, despite my clear orders to destroy the Autobots, you chose to bring them back alive?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Barricade.

"You know what I am talking about" replied Starscream "The Autobots named Bumblebee and Arcee are contained on the ship right now, aren't they?"

"How would you…" said Barricade before hearing a loud squawk. It was then that he noticed Soundwave standing in the corner with Laserbeak resting on his arm.

"Soundwave was monitoring you the whole time" said Starscream "I give you direct orders and you disobey them. We currently outnumber Prime's Autobots; but it will be of no use if we do not use it to our advantage. Without Prime, a lone Autobot is helpless to our army. Unless you wish to face grave consequences, you will tell me why you chose to spare them…now!"

"I only thought that we could get information out of them" begged Barricade. Starscream raised an eyebrow.

"Go on" said Starscream.

"They are young Autobots who would break under pressure" said Barricade "If we interrogate them, we could learn valuable information from them; like the location of the Autobot's base"

"Interesting" said Starscream "You have actually done well, Barricade; you are dismissed"

"Thank you, Commander Starscream" said Barricade. He left the bridge.

"All about intimidating the troops, aren't you?" said Slipstream.

"Fear keeps them in line, Slipstream" said Starscream.

"Right; and you'd know all about that from the master, didn't you?" said Slipstream.

"I have no master!" snarled Starscream "You of all Decepticons would know that!"

"Commander Starscream, I am receiving a message" said Soundwave "It appears to be coming from Lord Megatron" Starscrean sighed.

"Very well; bring it up" said Starscream. Soundwave walked over to a control panel and extended a pair of tentacles out from his chest which connected up to it. The screen lit up to reveal a silhouetted figure with large red optics. Starscream walked up to the screen and bowed. "Lord Megatron"

"Starscream, I trust you have been keeping everything in order in my absence" said Megatron.

"Of course, my lord Megatron" said Starscream "You will be pleased to know that we have recently captured two Autobots and plan to interrogate them…with your permission, of course"

"Very well" said Megatron "You may proceed. And once you are done with them…terminate!"

 **The Story Begins pt. 2**

Bumblebee awoke in a containment field and looked around. He soon realized that he was inside a cell.

"W-Where am I?" said Bumblebee to himself. At that moment, Starscream, Soundwave, and two Vehicons entered the cell.

"Good; you're awake" said Starscream.

"Starscream!" said Bumblebee.

"The brave Autobot scout, caught here with no hope" said Starscream.

"Optimus will come for me" said Bumblebee "He's not like you Decepticons who'll leave one of their own"

"Can we skip the feeble banter and get down to business?" said Starscream "It is very simple; you will tell me the location of the Autobot base as well any other valuable pieces of information" Bumblebee smirked.

"You know; you had me until the last part" said Bumblebee. Starscream snarled.

"You clearly don't understand this, do you?" said Starscream "Start on a low setting and work your way up" A Vehicon who stood at a control panel pulled a lever which caused the containment field to be filled with electricity, giving Bumblebee a large shock. "Either you will break or you will die"

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"Optimus, I have lost track on Bumblebee and Arcee" said Ratchet.

"What do you mean, Ratchet?" asked Optimus.

"Teletraan is not picking up their life signs" said Ratchet.

"What!?" said Bulkhead "There's gotta' be some sort of mistake. I mean; they can't be, they can't be…"

"Bulkhead, calm down" said Prowl "Just because we can't find their signal doesn't mean their gone"

"Correct" said Ratchet "The _Nemesis_ is cloaked so there is a possibility that they're aboard"

"Not the most enticing concept; but still something" said Ironhide.

"If they're on the _Nemesis_ , they could be halfway across the world by now" said Jazz.

"That's if they're on the _Nemesis_ " said Bullkhead "I mean; we're only assuming it now, how do we know it wasn't something else"

"That is correct, Bulkhead" said Optimus "We do not yet know of their current condition and we cannot rule anything out. Breakaway, search for the _Nemesis_ "

"On it, Optimus" said Breakaway. He ran out of the room.

"Jazz, you will lead the search party with Prowl and Wheeljack" said Optimus "If they are not on the _Nemesis_ they should not be too far off.

"Got it" said Jazz. He, Prowl, and Wheeljack transformed "We'll radio you back when we find something" The three of them drove off.

"Optimus, it would be best if I was with them" said Bulkhead "The more in a group, the faster we can find them"

"I appreciate the suggestion" said Optimus "But I have a special mission that I won't be able to go alone. Do you remember about two years back when we came across the stripped energon mine that was able to cover up life signals from Teletraan I?"

"You think they're in there?" said Ironhide.

"We cannot rule our possibilities; especially when two of our own are on the line" said Optimus "The Decepticons may have left booby traps in case we were to return. Get yourselves ready. Ratchet, prepare the medical bay after we leave"

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz, Prowl, and Wheeljack drove down the road.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up" said Prowl.

"Agreed" said Jazz.

"Remember; if you see a Decepticon, call for backup" said Prowl "We could get valuable information out of them" The three of them drove off in different directions.

"Breakaway, this is Jazz; do you read?" said Jazz.

"Loud and clear" said Breakaway through Jazz's comlink.

"Any sign of the _Nemesis_?" asked Jazz.

"Not yet" said Breakaway "I'll inform you when I do"

 _Meanwhile in Utah_

A ground bridge appeared outside of a cave entrance. Optimus, Bulkhead, and Ironhide stepped out of it.

"Well; here we are" said Ironhide. They entered the cave.

"So why can't we pick up life signals in this cave?" asked Bulkhead.

"It's some kind of anomaly in the minerals of the rock, kid" replied Ironhide "We still don't understand how it works, but Teletraan can't detect life signals in here"

"Which is why we must consider it a possibility" said Optimus "Too many lives have been lost in this war; I will not let anymore be lost, especially ones as young as Bumblebee and Arcee" Unbeknownst to them however was that a Vehicon had arrived at the entrance to the cave. It walked back out of sight.

"I have discovered Autobot activity outside the mine" said the Vehicon into its comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

The Vehicon at the controls turned the power down.

"Surely you must be giving in now?" said Starscream "I've seen bigger Autobots than you crack under much less pressure"

"Well I won't" said Bumblebee "I'm not telling you anything!"

"Don't be too sure on that" said Starscream "Hit him again"

"But Commander—" said the Vehicon at the controls.

"Do it!" snarled Starscream. The Vehicon pulled the lever again giving Bumblebee another larger shock. "You are a piece of work, aren't you?" He started to stroke his chin wickedly. "You know; I can make whatever's left of your pathetic little Autobot life extremely painful"

"So you're going to kill me anyway; not very persuasive, is it?" said Bumblebee.

"Oh; l you're going to die" said Starscream "It's only a matter of how painful it is. Now; you will answer my questions, or must I rip out your voice box and crush it!" Bumblebee smirked.

"But then you'll never get the answers" smirked Bumblebee. Starscream snarled and lifted his hand as if he were actually ready to rip out his voice box. Soundwave grabbed him by the wrist.

"What is it?!" snarled Starscream.

"Commander, I advise against such rash actions" said Soundwave.

"On what grounds?" snarled Starscream "If you kill or issue severe vocal damage on the prisoner, your chances of finding the information will only lessen"

"YOU…You are right…Soundwave" said Starscream whilst lowering his hand. A wicked smile came across his face. "After all; why waste all our energy here when we have the other prisoners…the female one" Bumblebee's audio sensors picked up. "It would be a real shame if she were to…die weeping"

"Don't you dare touch her!" snapped Bumblebee.

"Getting aggressive, aren't we?" smirked Starscream "Attached to your partner?" It was then that a Vehicon entered.

"Commander Starscream, Slipstream is requesting your presence" said the Vehicon "She says she has to tell you"

"Is it really that urgent?" said Starscream "I'm in the middle of something right now"

"She said it was about the mine" said the Vehicon. Starscream sighed.

"Very well; I will **grace** her with my presence" said Starscream "You two, stay guard" The other two Vehicons nodded whilst he and Soundwave exited the cell. "The Autobot appears to be more resilient than I had thought"

"Patience, Starscream" said Soundwave "The key to interrogation is time" They entered the bridge.

"What is it?" said Starscream.

"We received a message from a Vehicon over at our mine" replied Slipstream "A party of Autobots have entered"

"What!?" snapped Starscream "How could they have found it?"

"They may have found it by chance" said Slipstream "And one more thing; Optimus Prime is amongst them" Starscream smiled wickedly.

"Then we appear to have an opportunity on our hands" said Starscream "A chance to finally destroy Prime; something that even Lord Megatron himself could not accomplish. Slipstream, you are in charge until I return; and try to break our Autobot prisoners, by any means necessary" He walked out of the bridge and onto the top of the ship and transformed into an F-15 Eagle and flew off.

 _Meanwhile in Carson City suburbs_

The girl walked through the suburbs.

"Alright, alright; almost home" said the girl. It was then that she heard a loud and familiar jet engine coming towards her. Lugnut flew over her, transformed, and landed in front of her.

"There you are, insect!" snarled Lugnut. He grabbed ahold of her.

"Let me go!" said the girl. Lugnut transformed. "What's happening?" A device came out from the control panel and zapped her, making her unconscious.

"I have you now!" said Lugnut as he flew off.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee awoke in a containment field in a cell, similar to how Bumblebee was imprisoned.

"I was wondering when you would wake up" said a voice. Arcee looked over to a corner of the room. Slipstream stepped out of the shadows to reveal herself. "Long time no see, Cee"

"Let me guess; Starscream's too much of a gentlemen to hurt a lady so he sends his sister in to do the dirty work for him?" smirked Arcee.

"Hilarious; but I'm in no mood for this" said Slipstream. She grabbed onto Arcee's throat. "Understand this; there's no one else here. No Autobot to save you, no brother to take command of the interrogation. Just us girls" She let go and walked over to the corner again. She picked up something. "My brother induces pain in an attempt to make prisoners lose their hope and give up. I prefer more direct ways" She turned around, revealing in her hand a long cord with purple glowing stripes which resembled Soundwave's tentacles but thinner. Arcee was stunned by the sight of it. "You know what this is, don't you?"

"How…How did you get a cortical psychic patch?" said Arcee.

"I snatched it out of Shockwave's lab when he wasn't looking" said Slipstream "Surely you've heard the stories of how he used it to gain valuable information from captive Autobots"

"Do the other Cons know?" said Arcee.

"They don't need to" said Slipstream "I've had to keep it under wraps. After all; Shockwave and Megatron do prefer to have command over who uses it. I've just been waiting for the right opportunity to use it"

"You wouldn't!" said Arcee. Slipstream plugged one end of the cord at the back of her head.

"Still feisty, I see" said Slipstream. She walked over behind Arcee. "You know; your weak little mind might not survive the procedure, and just imagine the look on that yellow bug's face when I show him your braindead corpse" She lifted the other end of the cord up to the back of Arcee's head but didn't plug it in. "Don't worry; you've got a chance. Simply tell me the location of the Autobot base; if you don't, I'll just take it from you manually. You have to the count of three" Arcee felt a great amount of pressure and even fear come over her; she could never tell the Decepticons the location of the _Ark_ but neither could she allow them to go into her mind and take it out for themselves. "One…" Arcee clenched her teeth. "…two…" It was then that Soundwave entered. Slipstream swiftly pulled the cord out the back of her head. "What is it, Soundwave?"

"Lugnut has arrived back" replied Soundwave "He says that he has something of great value. He also said that it could not wait"

"Count yourself lucky" said Slipstream "You're getting extra time" She walked out of the cell with Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway flew through the clouds. It was now twilight and the sun was going down.

"Breakaway to Jazz; still no sign of the _Nemesis_ , your status?" said Breakaway.

"Still no sign" said Jazz through his comlink.

"I've checked pretty much all of Nevada" said Breakaway "I guess I'll have to search outwards" It was then that something large, pointed, and black peeked through the clouds. "Woah!" The _Nemesis_ arose up out of the clouds. Breakaway took a barrel-roll to avoid the ship's gaze, transformed, and grabbed onto the side of the ship.

"What happened?" said Jazz "Breakaway, are you alright?"

"I found the _Nemesis_ " said Breakaway.

"Are you hit?" asked Jazz.

"Nope; almost got spotted though" said Breakaway.

"Breakaway, this is Prowl; do not engage" said Prowl out of his comlink "We're locking onto your position so stay put and out of sight" Breakaway started to climb up to get himself a more stable grip. It was once he had gotten to the top that he found the entrance to the inside of the ship.

"Well; I am already here" said Breakaway. He snuck into the entrance.

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream entered the bridge.

"What is it?" said Slipstream. Lugnut walked over to her.

"You will be pleased to know that I have successfully captured the Autobots' ally" said Lugnut. He lifted up his hands revealing the girl lying unconscious in his palms.

"What is this?" said Slipstream.

"This is a Human allied with the Autobots" replied Lugnut "We could find out secrets from her, maybe even use her as a ransom, you know how soft Prime in that matter; I'm sure we could find a use for her"

"Where did you find her?" asked Slipstream.

"She was in the presence of the Autobot Arcee and was picked up by the Autobot Bumblebee" said Lugnut "She is their accomplice" The girl's eyes slowly began to open. She lifted herself up slowly.

"What—What happened?" said the girl. Now fully conscious, she looked around. "What is this place?"

"Silence!" snapped Lugnut "You are not permitted to speak, insect!" Slipstream walked closer to her.

"She's just a child" said Slipstream "How can she assist the Autobots?"

"But I saw it!" said Lugnut "The Autobots rescued her; she must be affiliated with them"

"Rescued her from what?" asked Slipstream.

"Well…when I threatened her" replied Lugnut "But she was in their presence"

"In which mode?" asked Slipstream, now starting to sound enraged. Lugnut gulped.

"Vehicle mode" replied Lugnut.

"So; you assumed that a normal Human was affiliated with the Autobots and decided to bring her back?" said Slipstream.

"But she could have been their ally" said Lugnut.

"Well; all you've done is our wasted time" said Slipstream "Now to tie up loose ends" Her right hand turned into a blaster and she pointed it at the girl who looked up with a look of absolute horror.

"Commander, stay your hand" said Soundwave "I have a suggestion for you" Slipstream's blaster turned back into her hand. Soundwave brought her over to a corner. "The Human may be of better use than you think. She may not be affiliated with the Autobots, but she can still be used for an interrogation method"

"You mean; threaten to kill her so that they cough up?" said Slipstream. Soundwave nodded. "There's no need for that; I have it handled"

"Need I remind you that the cortical psychic patch is temperamental and would be better used for a last resort" said Soundwave. Slipstream clenched her teeth. "Need I remind you that it is treason to use such a technique without higher permission?"

"All about enforcing the laws, aren't you?" said Slipstream "Wait a second; you're blackmailing me, aren't you?" Soundwave did not reply. Slipstream sighed. "Fine! You know; times like this I wonder if you've deleted all of your emotions" She walked over to Lugnut and picked the girl up. "Congratulations; you've just been promoted to inducement"

 _Meanwhile_

"We should be getting to the heart of the tunnels soon" said Optimus. It was then that they reached a large boulder blocking their path.

"I've got this!" said Bulkhead. He walked up to the boulder and began pulling at it until it budged out thus clearing the path. It was then that Ironhide heard something.

"Can you hear that, Optimus?" said Ironhide.

"Yes I do, Ironhide" replied Optimus.

"It sounds like a faint drilling" said Bulkhead. They moved forward with caution through the remainder of the tunnels until they reached a large platform that overlooked a clearing. They crouched down over it and peeked out at the clearing below. "

"By Primus!" said Ironhide quietly. Down below was a large deposit of energon crystals that filled the chasm. Decepticon miners (who resembled Vehicons except smaller, had two V-shaped optics, and were lavender instead of black) cut off smaller and more transportable pieces of the crystals or used energon drillers to find more energon whilst Vehicons stood guard with their blasters drawn.

"That's a whole lot of energon for a stripped mine" said Bulkhead quietly "The Cons have sure hit the jackpot" It was then that Starscream flew down through a tunnel to the surface, transformed, and landed on the ground.

"Well look who decided to show up" said Ironhide quietly.

"I have heard reports of Optimus Prime's presence" said Starscream "Which of you reported it" A Vehicon stepped forward.

"I did, Commander" said the Vehicon.

"Have you kept track of them?" asked Starscream.

"Actually; no, I didn't" said the Vehicon. Starscream clenched his teeth. "What; I didn't want to get close to them. It's Optimus Prime, after all"

"Err; no matter!" snarled Starscream "They won't be far if they're still here. Fan out through the tunnels; if any of you catch sign of them, report for backup"

"Yes, Commander Starscream" said the Vehicon. It and the other Vehicons moved off. Optimus, Ironhide, and Bulkhead moved back off of the platform.

"What I'd give to get my hands on that Screamer!" said Ironhide quietly.

"You and me both" said Bulkhead quietly "Especially if he has his hands on Bumblebee and Arcee"

"The Decepticons seem to have been mining here for some time" said Optimus quietly "If Bumblebee and Arcee were here, the Decepticons would probably already know. But we may have a solution to our problem. If they've been captured, Starscream would know"

"So all we've gotta' do is capture him, right?" said Bulkhead quietly.

"So what's the plan, Optimus?" asked Ironhide quietly. Unbeknownst to the three of them, two Vehicons walked up behind them and noticed them

"There's no way to capture him without giving away our position" said Optimus quietly "So we have to do it—"

"Halt, Autobots!" snapped one of the Vehicons whilst he and the other one pointed their blasters at them.

"Oh scrap!" said Ironhide. He turned around and blasted both of them with the cannons on his forearms. All the commotion of course alerted Starscream and the other Decepticons. Starscream let out a wicked laugh.

"You may come out now, Prime" said Starscream "There's no point in hiding now" A group of black F/A-18E/F Super Hornets flew down and transformed into Vehicons. Ironhide pointed his cannons at them and Bulkhead's hands turned into maces.

"That's it?" smirked Ironhide "Surround us and we must comply"

"Please" smirked Starscream "We both know that running the risk of a firefight would only result in damaging the energon; and need I remind you that you don't…possess means to escape quickly"

"Wanna' bet?!" said Ironhide.

"Ironhide, Bulkhead, stand down" said Optimus.

"But Prime—" said Ironhide.

"He's right; a firefight would only destroy all of us" said Optimus "Teletraan can't get a lock on us in here so Ratchet can't ground bridge us out" Ironhide sighed and turned his cannons down and Bulkhead's maces turned back into his hands. A wicked grin stretched across Starscream's face.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway snuck through the halls of the _Nemesis_ until he found the cell block.

"This looks like the place" said Breakaway quietly to himself. He walked in further and started checking each cell. "Not here" He moved to the next one. "Nope" He moved to the next one. "Nope" He moved to the next one which was the one Arcee was contained in. "Bingo!" He looked down at the security panel. "Damn!" He knew from personal experience that Decepticon security panels like these were hand operated and there was no way he could fake that. Plus; the panel would most likely set an alarm off and that's the last thing he needed. "Alright, alright; let's figure out how to—"

"Hey; you're not supposed to be here!" said a passing Vehicon who instantly stopped and pointed his blaster at him.

"And I've got to stop talking to myself" said Breakaway.

"Hands up!" said the Vehicon whilst approaching him. Breakaway put his hands up. Suddenly, his right hand turned into a blaster and he quickly pointed it at the Vehicon and shot him. He then walked up to the Vehicon and dragged him up to the panel.

"Let's see if this works" said Breakaway. He pressed the Vehicon's hand against the panel and it opened the door. "Yes!" He walked into the cell and released the containment field causing Arcee dropped to the floor. Breakaway ran up to her and helped her up.

"Breakaway, what are you doing here?" asked Arcee.

"Optimus sent me to search for the _Nemesis_ " replied Breakaway "Everyone's out looking for you guys. What happened?"

"We were out on patrol around the suburbs when Barricade ambushed us" replied Arcee "We tried hiding in car park but they found us so we tried to escape but Lugnut arrived and we were beaten. When I woke up, I was in this cell and Slipstream was here. She wanted to know where our base was"

"I'm guessing she didn't just ask" said Breakaway.

"No kidding" said Arcee "She wanted to use a cortical psychic patch on me"

"Woah; are you serious?" said Breakaway.

"She was going to use it on me but Soundwave intervened and she left" said Arcee. She looked around. "Wait, where's Bumblebee?"

"He's our next stop" said Breakaway "Hopefully he'll also be on the cell block"

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream entered Bumblebee's cell.

"Hello, bug" said Slipstream. Bumblebee looked up.

"Slipstream!" said Bumblebee.

"So; the troopers tell me that you withstood everything my brother threw at you" said Slipstream.

"You two don't scare me" said Bumblebee "You're no Megatron" Slipstream smirked evilly.

"Is that so?" said Slipstream. She lifted her arm up to reveal the girl within her grasp. An instant jolt of shock came over Bumblebee.

"What are you doing" said Bumblebee.

"Just a little incentive" smirked Slipstream. The girl remained quiet in her hand as she feared that talking would only get herself into more trouble.

"How did—" said Bumblebee.

"Lugnut came to me saying that she was associated with you" said Slipstream "Turned out to be nothing but his own assumptions; by why waste a perfectly good Human? Now; you're going to tell me the location of the Autobot base or…we'll just have to clean up the mess afterwards" She began to apply pressure to her grip. "Funny isn't it how fragile these Humans are; one little squeeze and they pop" Bumblebee was utterly shocked by the sight of it.

"Leave her alone, Slipstream!" begged Bumblebee "She's innocent; she's not involved in our war!"

"Do you really think I care about that?" said Slipstream "You will tell me what I want to know…" She applied more pressure to her grip. The girl could now hardly breathe. "…or you'll see what happens when—" At that moment, the door opened wide. Slipstream turned around to find Arcee and Breakaway standing in the doorway. Before she could even react, Breakaway punched her across the face, knocking her out instantly. She lost her grip on the girl who went flying through the air.

"I've got her!" said Arcee who leapt forward and caught the girl before she could hit the ground. Breakaway walked up to the control panel and released Bumblebee. "So this is the Human interference"

"Thanks guys" said Bumblebee. Arcee looked down at the girl she held in her hands.

"Are you alright?" asked Arcee. The girl didn't reply. "Kid, are you alright?" The girl still didn't reply.

"Arcee, I think you should put her down" said Bumblebee. Arcee placed the girl gently on the ground. Bumblebee kneeled down towards her. "Don't worry; it's okay, we're not going to hurt you" The girl looked up and down Bumblebee.

"You were that car, right?" said the girl "The one that rescued me earlier"

"Well…yeah, I am" said Bumblebee.

"Robots that can turn into vehicles; who'd had thought it" said the girl. Arcee kneeled down towards her.

"Listen, kid; I know you must be very confused" said Arcee "But right now we need to get off this ship alive. It may seem strange since we've only just met, but you have to trust us" The girl remained silent for a few seconds.

"It's Melody, by the way" said the girl "Melody Keen"

"I guess that means she trusts us" said Bumblebee. He extended his hand out and Melody stepped onto it and he placed her on his shoulder.

"Well; what're we waiting for?" said Arcee "We've got a battleship armed to the teeth with Decepticons and it's only a matter of time until they know what happened"

"I know the way out" said Breakaway "If we're quiet, we might be able to sneak past them"

"Alright; let's do this!" said Bumblebee.

"Wait just a sec" said Breakaway. He looked over at the unconscious Slipstream. "I mean; we can't just leave her here in case she wakes up" Bumblebee looked at the control panel and smirked.

"I've got an idea" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

"At long last; the great and mighty Optimus Prime is at my mercy" said Starscream. Optimus, Ironhide, and Bulkhead stood in front of him with a group of Vehicons and Decepticon miners guarding them.

"Then why don't you get it over with?" said Optimus.

"Not just yet" said Starscream "I have waited a long time for this moment; I will savor it"

"Really?" said Ironhide whilst stepping forward "Sure about that?" Optimus stopped him with his hand and gave him a "I've got his handled" look. Ironhide sighed and stepped back.

"Good move, Prime" smirked Starscream "I would hate if we had to spoil this moment" He walked up to Optimus. "To think that Megatron has never gotten this close to extinguishing your spark; it makes you wonder why he's the leader" He stepped back a few steps.

"Starscream, this war has on gone on long enough" said Optimus "And over what; disagreements, a struggle for power?"

"What are you going for?" said Starscream.

"There was a time when there were no Autobots or Decepticons" said Optimus "We were once all just Cybertronians; this war has destroyed all of that and continues to. To make matters worse; we have taken the war off of our planet and brought it here. The inhabitants of this planet are not involved in this, yet we risk their lives each and every day in this pointless conflict"

"Your point?" said Starscream.

"It is time to put aside our differences for the greater good" said Optimus. Starscream smirked evilly.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz drove up to a hillside and transformed. By now it was just nightfall. Prowl and Wheeljack arrived and transformed.

"Have you guys had any contact from Breakaway?" asked Jazz.

"Not since he found the _Nemesis_ " replied Wheeljack.

"These were his last coordinates" said Prowl "I told him to wait for us" Jazz looked up at the clouds.

"Hmmm…" said Jazz. He switched his visors to infrared. He was able to find the _Nemesis_ floating above the clouds and zoomed in on it. "Found it. Follow my lead, boys" He transformed and drove off. Prowl and Wheeljack transformed and zoomed off after him.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee, Arcee, and Breakaway snuck through the hallways with Melody on Bumblebee's shoulder.

"From what I remember, it's just up ahead" said Breakaway quietly. Unbeknownst to the four of them, Thundercracker hid behind a corner watching them closely. He slid back behind the corner.

"Soundwave, this is Thundercracker" said Thundercracker into his comlink quietly

 _Meanwhile in Soundwave's workshop_

Soundwave sat at his monitor desk with Laserbeak sitting atop his chair.

"The Autobots have escaped their cells and are on their out" said Thundercracker out of the monitor's comm.

"Understood" said Soundwave. He pressed the intercom. "Attention, all Decepticons, attention…"

 _Meanwhile_

"…the Autobots have escaped" said Soundwave through the intercom "All Decepticons available must overpower them but do not terminate"

"Well; I guess our cover's blown" said Bumblebee.

"This way!" said Breakaway.

"I think you better hold on, Melody" said Bumblebee as he and the others started running. Suddenly, Skywarp teleported in front of them.

"Going somewhere?" said Skywarp. A group of Vehicons ran up behind them with their blasters drawn. Skywarp's hands turned into blasters and he pointed them towards them. Breakaway's hand turned into his blaster.

"I've got this" said Breakaway "Get out of here; I'll catch up" Bumblebee grabbed Melody and covered her as he and Arcee ran forward past Skywarp.

"Really?" smirked Skywarp.

"Oh no you don't!" said Breakaway as he grabbed onto Skywarp from the back. Skywarp however teleported away and reappeared behind him and kicked him in the back.

"Fry him, boys!" said Skywarp. The Vehicons started shooting.

"Hold it" said Breakaway whilst dodging the shots "You seriously getting these Vehicons to do your dirty work?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Skywarp.

"Simple; the other two are gone, it's just you and me, you seriously going to beat me by outnumbering me when you can always beat me one on one" said Breakaway.

"Hold your fire" said Skywarp. The Vehicons stopped shooting. "One on one, huh? I bet I can take you"

"The rules are simple; no blasters, no powers, just fists" said Breakaway "And remember; use either of those and it'll only make you look weak. Got it?"

"Got it" said Skywarp "Now let's do this!"

 _Meanwhile_

"He said we should just keep going ahead" said Arcee. It was at that moment when they heard a large thudding noise coming from the hallway on their left. Lugnut was rampaging towards them with his missile launchers pointed at them. "Oh no!"

"Him again?" said Bumblebee "We've got no time for this; we have to get out" He transformed (with Melody being placed in the front seat) and started driving towards the exit. Arcee followed suit. Lugnut transformed and flew towards them. He transformed in front of them and turned his hand into his power mace.

"Don't move, Autobots!" snarled Lugnut.

"We don't have time for this, Lugnut" said Bumblebee.

"Do you really think I would—" said Lugnut shortly before Arcee transformed and uppercut him in the lower jaw. Lugnut growled and slammed Arcee against the wall with his mace. He swung again but this time Arcee caught it and kept it from crushing her. Bumblebee transformed and placed Melody on the ground.

"Stay here and stay quiet" said Bumblebee. He grabbed onto Lugnut's mace arm but Lugnut quickly pulled over and slammed him into the wall. However, this freed Arcee who leapt up onto Lugnut's back, retracted out her arm blades, and started beating him in the head continuously.

 _Meanwhile_

"A truce, you say?" said Starscream "And what would Megatron think of this little deal?" said Starscream.

"He is not here so he is not involved" said Optimus "You are here however so I wish to discuss with you" Starscream's smirk widened.

"Your right, Prime" said Starscream "The Decepticons need a leader who's here and always focusing on what we have in front of us rather than leaving for some…reason"

"He wouldn't agree with me either" said Optimus "I learned a long time ago that he is blinded by hate and won't move on. I just hope that together we can build a better future"

"I'm interested" said Starscream "Very well; any particular terms?"

"Firstly; in order to leave the Humans in peace, we need to stop the war on Earth and leave" said Optimus "If it means that both Autobot and Decepticon forces must leave Earth and deem it as untouchable ground than I will go along with it"

"I'll have to think about that one" said Starscream "After all; I wouldn't want all this energon going to waste. Anything else"

"Please tell me if you know what has happened to Bumblebee and Arcee?" asked Optimus. Starscream's smirk vanished.

"Hmm; on second thoughts, I'm not interested" said Starscream "After all; I have you right where I—"

"Ironhide, now!" said Optimus. Ironhide, instantly realizing what Optimus meant by "now", leapt forward and blasted Starscream with both cannons sending the Decepticon flying off into an energon driller.

"Not gonna' lie, that felt good" said Ironhide.

"Nice plan" said Bulkhead "Lure him in and blast him"

"I really did mean, Bulkhead" said Optimus "If it meant we could save them, I would do anything" The Vehicons pointed their blasters towards them. Bulkhead's hands turned into maces whilst Optimus's right hand turned into an ion blaster and an energon blade retracted out of his left wrist.

"My energon's boiling for a fight!" said Ironhide.

"Be careful, Autobots; if we damage the energon, it could create a chain reaction and destroy us all" said Optimus. The Vehicons started shooting (but were careful not to hit the energon crystals). Ironhide began blasted down the Vehicons with Bulkhead bashing them up. Optimus fought his way through the Vehicons, both blasting them and slashing them down, until he reached Starscream. The beaten down Starscream's optics began to open as he regained consciousness. "Where are Bumblebee and Arcee?" Starscream started chuckling evilly as he got himself up slowly and steadily.

"Probably coughing up whatever Autobot secrets they know of…among other things, that is" said Starscream sadistically. He rocketed up into the air with his jet engines. "Ironic; I criticized Lugnut for doing a similar thing earlier today. Now I know the meaning of the word "sacrifice"" He shot both his rockets at an energon crystal before transforming and flying off. "So long, Prime!" For what was but a brief moment, Optimus looked around for a way to avoid the explosion and noticed that an energon driller was close to a wall.

"Autobots, followed me!" shouted Optimus. He, Ironhide, and Bulkhead ran over to the energon driller and hid between it and the wall just before the entire cavern exploded, blowing a hole in the mountain. When the smoke had cleared, they got out from behind the driller.

"That was a close one" said Bulkhead. The area was burned with no sign of energon anywhere and many areas had caved in. The singed remains of Vehicons and Decepticon miners lay across the ground.

"He got away!" said Ironhide.

"We at least found out something" said Optimus "The Decepticons indeed have Bumblebee and Arcee; I only hope that Jazz and the others have better luck finding the _Nemesis_.

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream awoke in Bumblebee's cell.

"W-What…" moaned Slipstream. She struggled but soon realized that she was entrapped in a containment field. "Filthy Autobots!" The door opened.

"Commander!" said Barricade as he entered. He ran over to the control panel and released her.

"What happened to the Autobots?" asked Slipstream.

"They are loose on the ship, Commander" replied Barricade "We are all looking for them" Slipstream remained silent for a moment before walking towards the door.

"C'mon" said Slipstream.

"Where are we going?" asked Barricade.

"There's only one way out for them" said Slipstream "Best we can do is beat them their"

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway and Skywarp fought each other in hand-to-hand combat. The Vehicons watched on the side.

"We've been at this for a while now, aren't you feeling tired?" taunted Skywarp. Breakaway didn't reply. "Quiet, huh? How about this!" He threw a punch at Breakaway who merely caught it and threw him to the ground.

"Seriously; that's the only strategy you're using?" said Breakaway "No wonder this fight's been going nowhere since we first started. You really aren't that good at this, are you?"

"I'll show you hand-to-hand combat!" said Skywarp. He leapt forward towards Breakaway. However, Breakaway could notice that he was preparing to teleport so he quickly leapt to the side and let him fall towards the Vehicons, teleporting both him and the Vehicons away.

 _Meanwhile_

Skywarp and the Vehicons reappeared in mid-air a few meters outside the _Nemesis_ just above a large hill and collapsed onto it.

"Starscream's not going to like this" said Skywarp.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway ran forward through the hallways until he reached what appeared to be Bumblebee and Arcee fending themselves off against Lugnut. He ran forward, transformed, and rammed into Lugnut, slamming the colossal Decepticon into the wall. He transformed and landed in front of them.

"Sorry I'm late" said Breakaway as Bumblebee and Arcee got themselves up.

"How'd things turn over with Skywarp?" asked Bumblebee.

"I was able to trick him into ditching the outnumbering in favor of a one on one fight" replied Breakaway "He never was very smart. Ultimately he lost his patience and attempted to teleport me somewhere else; but I dodged him and fell into the Vehicons, teleporting them away. I just knew he'd do that"

"How?" asked Arcee.

"Because for the few times I've met him, he'd always try to teleport someone away and drop 'em from a great height, or at least somewhere else" said Breakaway "It's kind of his special move" What he didn't realize however was that Lugnut had regained consciousness and was sneaking up behind him ready to attack. "I just used it against him" Arcee's hand turned into her blaster and she shot Lugnut in the face. The large hulking Decepticon stood for a brief moment before collapsing on his back unconscious.

"Hopefully that'll keep him down" said Arcee.

"Good thing the exit is just up ahead" said Breakaway. The three of them turned for the exit.

"Um; excuse me?" said a voice. Bumblebee turned around and looked down to find Melody standing on the ground in front of him.

"Oh, sorry" said Bumblebee whilst picking her up and following the others. The three of them reached the exit.

"Finally" said Breakaway as they walked out through the exit only to find Slipstream standing in front of them.

"This just hasn't been our day, has it?" said Bumblebee. Barricade and a group of Vehicons emerged and pointed their blasters towards them.

"Don't move, Autobots" said Barricade.

"I have to give you credit; you've put up quite a fight, but you're getting out of here alive" said Slipstream.

"How do you think Starscream will react when you tell him you didn't get any information?" said Arcee.

"At least the Autobots numbers will go down, and that is always an advantage" said Slipstream "So I guess it's a win-win"

"Alright, alright; do whatever you want with us, but don't hurt Melody" said Bumblebee "She's not part of this"

"Melody?" said Slipstream "Oh; I guess you're referring to the Human. Sorry; but she has seen too much, I can't let her get out of this most of all. Decepticons, prepare to shoot on my mark" The Vehicons moved in closer.

"Melody, it's going to be okay but I need you to promise to stay calm" said Bumblebee quietly "Just remember that we would never intentionally hurt you. Do you trust us?"

"Yes; I trust you" replied Melody quietly. Bumblebee beamed.

"Breakaway, when I give the mark I'll hand Melody over to you" said Bumblebee quietly "Get her out of harm's way"

"Got it" said Breakaway quietly.

"On three" said Bumblebee quietly "One…two…three!" He swiftly handed Melody over to Breakaway who transformed and flew off.

"What!" exclaimed Slipstream "Blast him!" Barricade and the Vehicons aimed and fired at Breakaway but he dodged the shots easily. Bumblebee and Arcee's hands turned into their blasters and started shooting down Vehicons. Slipstream's left hand turned into a blaster and she shot at Bumblebee who was knocked down by the shot but quickly got himself up again. Slisptream's blaster turned back into her hand. "You wanna' fight, bug; very well, come and get some!" Bumblebee rushed towards her and started throwing punches but she dodged it easily before kicking him in the chin and knocking him over. "Pathetic!" Arcee retracted out her blades and leapt at Slipstream who merely grabbed her by the wrist, knocked her in the face with her elbow, and threw her to the ground. "Is this seriously the best the Autobots have to offer; you're nothing more than children" Arcee leapt up and started slashing at her but she blocked every shot with her wrists. "Just us girls again!"

"Well this girl's got some fight in her!" said Arcee. Bumblebee awoke to find Barricade standing over him with his blaster pointed towards him.

"Autobot trash!" snarled Barricade as he prepared to fire. Bumblebee quickly slid to the left and avoided the shot. He looked over and saw Arcee and Slipstream fighting and quickly ran over to them, grabbed Arcee, and swung her over his shoulder.

"Seriously?" said Arcee.

"I heard that this was a sport in Finland" said Bumblebee. He charged over to Barricade and pushed off the edge of the _Nemesis_ , sending all three of them falling.

"What have you done!" exclaimed Barricade "You've killed us all!" At that moment, Breakaway flew down. Bumblebee caught onto him and caught Barricade by the foot. Breakaway flew down low enough for Bumblebee to let go. He dropped on the side of the road with Barricade breaking his fall.

"Well; that was something" said Bumblebee.

"It sure was" said Arcee. There was a short and awkward silence. "You know, you can let go of me anytime"

"Oh; of course, sorry!" said Bumblebee whilst placing Arcee back on the ground. Breakaway walked up to them and placed Melody down on the ground gently.

"That was quite a caper, wasn't it?" said Breakaway.

"One I wouldn't want to repeat" said Arcee. At that moment, Jazz, Prowl, and Wheeljack drove up to them and transformed.

"Bee, Arcee, Breakaway; thank the AllSpark you're alive!" said Jazz.

"We brought someone else with us" said Bumblebee. Prowl looked down at Barricade, walked up to him, and kneeled down.

"He's unconscious but alive" said Prowl "Who knows; he might be a good source of information. Ratchet, give us a ground bridge at our coordinates. We've got ourselves a visitor"

"I'm on it" said Ratchet through his comlink. A ground bride appeared in front of them.

"I'll take him" said Wheeljack whilst lifted Barricade up by the left shoulder.

"Need a hand?" asked Breakaway whilst lifting Barricade up by the right shoulder.

"Thanks" said Wheeljack. They entered the ground bridge with it vanishing behind them.

"Well; I'm glad that's over" said Bumblebee.

"Not exactly" said Prowl "Why didn't you radio base, you could've gotten yourselves killed"

"Well I was kind of busy at the time" said Bumblebee.

"You don't understand" said Prowl "This is war; if you don't think fast, the enemy will use it to their advantage. The Decepticons are becoming more active than ever, we have to be much more careful" He noticed that Bumblebee had a somewhat guilty look on his face "There's something else, isn't there?"

"Barricade…wasn't our only guest" said Bumblebee. Prowl looked down at Melody.

"Well; I can't say I'm the least surprised" said Prowl.

"Look; it's not what you think" said Bumblebee.

"You know how serious contact with civilians is" said Prowl "Only a few Humans know of our existence and we have to keep it that way. The last thing we need is for the public to be aware of us, we have no idea how they'd react"

"It wasn't Bee's fault" said Arcee "She was around us at the time. The Decepticons must have assumed that she was with us"

"That's not what matters" said Prowl "You disobeyed Autobot rules"

"The Decepticons tried to kill her!" said Arcee.

"Well none of this would've happened if you had just radioed base as soon as you caught sight of them"

"Come on, Prowl; don't be so hard on them" said Jazz.

"Jazz, they stepped out of line, we can't ignore that" said Prowl "You two are grounded"

"Grounded!" said Bumblebee.

"No leaving base for the next month, perhaps it'll give you time to think about what you've done" said Prowl.

"Hey; do I have a say in this?" said Melody. Prowl turned towards her.

"Stay out of this" said Prowl "There are things that you're better off not knowing about"

"Excuse me; I understand that I'm not supposed to be here, I understand that it's better of that I wasn't here, but I'm here now" said Melody "Like it or not; I've seen things tonight that I never thought I would see. But from what I know, you are the good guys, you could've left me in there but you didn't. You guys helped me and it was awesome!" Prowl raised an eyebrow. "So; this may be cliché, but can you take me to your leader"

"Well; you've got some fight in you" said Prowl "But it won't protect you; there are dark forces here beyond what you can comprehend"

"Woah, Prowl; maybe she's right" said Jazz.

"Jazz—" said Prowl.

"I mean; perhaps it would be best if Optimus decided" said Jazz.

"How would you know?" said Prowl.

"Well; I am his second-in-command, remember?" smirked Jazz. Prowl sighed.

"Fine; we'll do that, for now" said Prowl "I call for a ground bridge"

"We…haven't ready tested it on Humans yet" said Jazz "It may be best if we hold that off"

"Besides; we're not far from base, we can drive there" said Jazz.

"Very well" said Prowl. He and Jazz transformed and started driving off along the road. Bumblebee and Arcee transformed as well with Bumblebee opening his door.

"Hop in" said Bumblebee. Melody entered and they drove off.

"So anyways…thanks" said Melody "I mean; you helped me out today, I owe you big time"

"No problem" said Bumblebee. As they drove along the road, they reached a big mountain and drove towards the wall which opened up revealing a long tunnel.

"Woah!" said Melody. They eventually reached the remains of a giant amber colored spaceship with the engines and back entrance peeking out of the rocks. The entrance opened as they drove in.

" _Welcome back, Autobots"_

They drove into the main room of the _Ark_. Ratchet was at the controls of Teletraan with Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Breakaway also in the room. Bumblebee opened his door so Melody could exit before he and the others transformed.

"Seems we have another visitor" said Ratchet.

"She doesn't look so bad" said Bulkhead "Name's Bulkhead; this is Ratchet and Wheeljack"

"Hi; my name's Melody" said Melody "Melody Keen"

"Nice to meet you" said Bulkhead whilst kneeling down and extending his hand out.

"Nice to meet you too" said Melody whilst shaking his finger. It was then that Optimus entered.

"Melody, I would like you to meet our leader" said Bumblebee.

"My name is Optimus Prime" said Optimus.

"Woah!" said Melody.

"We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron, also known as Autobots" said Optimus "I know this all must be confusing to you; but don't be afraid, we do not plan to harm you"

"So if you guys are aliens, what are you doing here?" asked Melody.

"A long time ago, Cybertron was a beautiful planet and home to us" said Optimus "We were once a peaceful race, but everything changed when the Decepticons attacked. They were led by Megatron, a fierce warrior who I once called friend. Megatron disagreed with many of the customs of Cybertron and sought to fix it his way; but he was filled with hate and disdain until he eventually turned to extremes and thus the war began, a war that devastated our planet until it was reduced to a barren wasteland and we were forced to retreat. Our ship was one of many that escaped Cybertron, but Megatron and his Decepticon followers pursued us until we landed here on Earth. Ever since then, we fought them to protect your planet from suffering a similar fate. However; about eight years ago, Megatron disappeared"

"You say like that's a bad thing" said Melody.

"I know Megatron too well" said Optimus "He will return eventually; and when he does, we will have to be prepared for him"

"Well; it was nice meeting you Optimus, but it's getting quite late and I have to go home" said Melody.

"Because the Decepticons know that you are aware of our existence, you are at grave risk" said Optimus. Prowl turned to Bumblebee.

"You know; perhaps I've been a bit hard on you recently, Bumblebee" said Prowl "You're young and still have much to experience. I'm sorry if I seem to extreme, but I guess I'm just trying to make sure you get through this"

"Well; thanks, Prowl" said Bumblebee.

"Perhaps all you need is a little responsibility" said Prowl "I am instructing you and Arcee to be her guardians"

"Guardians?" said Arcee.

"What does that mean?" asked Bumblebee.

"You can start by escorting her home" said Prowl "We don't her to go to bed too late, now would we?"

"Um; okay" said Bumblebee. He and Arcee transformed. Melody hoped inside Bumblebee and they drove off.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream stood before Slipstream on the bridge with the other Decepticons watching.

"I'm disappointed" said Starscream "I'd expect failure from the troops, but from you, my own sister?"

"I admit I made a small mistake and it cost us dearly—" said Slipstream.

"You lost the Autobots and now they've captured Barricade which could mean that almost all of our secrets are at Autobot fingertips!" snarled Starscream "We can no longer afford these mishaps!"

"Starscream, Megatron is making contact again" said Soundwave "He may want to know of your progress" A look of utter shock and horror came over Starscream.

"No no no no no!" snarled Starscream "Not now, I can't; ignore it!"

"This cannot be ignored" said Soundwave. Starscream took a deep breath.

"Very well; I will explain to Megatron why we cannot gain Autobot information" said Starscream. Soundwave connected his tentacles up to the control panel and Megatron appeared on the screen. Starscream bowed to him. "My lord…"

"Starscream, I trust the interrogation has been going well?" said Megatron.

"I am afraid not, my lord" said Starscream "The Autobots have escaped and they have taken Barricade with them"

"What?!" snarled Megatron. Starscream sank to his knees.

"My lord, it wasn't my fault!" begged Starscream "I was off checking a mine so I left Slipstream in charge, she lost them!"

"Save your groveling!" snarled Megatron "You'll have plenty of time to explain the situation when I arrive"

"Arrive?" said Starscream.

"Shockwave has informed me of a new discovery" said Megatron "The AllSpark is indeed located on Earth"

"But-But that's not possible, my lord" said Starscream "If the AllSpark were indeed located here, wouldn't we have found it by now?"

"We chose this planet for its energon supply, we were unaware of its presence" said Megatron "But now that I do know, I am returning; and victory shall at long last be ours!"

 _To be continued…_

 **Author's note** : The character Melody Keen comes from the IOS _Transformers: Earth Wars_ game. Her role in my series will basically be the April O'Neil of _Transformers_.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Well; we shall see ;) Anyways, thanks for reviewing.

 **Martin** : I hadn't planned to feature them as I planned on using original Human characters as for the Human factor. But I may give them a cameo sometime in the future.


	3. The Story Begins part 3

**Author's note** : Sorry about the really long delay; I tried to get this out sooner, but the end of last year got pretty tense and it combined with writer's block was pretty nasty. Anyways, thanks for the positive reception; enjoy:

 _The Nemesis_

Starscream, Slipstream, Soundwave, and a group of Vehicons stood atop the _Nemesis_ and watched the skies. A large grey Cybertronian interstellar jet flew down and transformed into Megatron who landed in front of Starscream. He was a large Decepticon with red optics and a large fusion cannon mounted on his right arm.

"Lord Megatron, it is an honor to have you return" said Starscream.

"Spare me your flattery, Starscream" said Megatron "You know why I am here"

"Are you certain that the AllSpark is located on this planet?" asked Starscream.

"Shockwave's calculations are rarely wrong" replied Megatron "It is here; we just need to find it. Soundwave, what is the progress of the space bridge"

"It is incomplete currently" replied Soundwave "But we are nearly finished. It will be operational within a week"

"Fast track production however you can, Soundwave" said Megatron "I want that space bridge operational as soon as possible"

"As you command, Megatron" replied Soundwave.

"We are reaching the final days of the war" said Megatron "And when it is over…Cybertron will be mine!" Unbeknownst to the Decepticons, Breakaway flew past them, transformed, and landed on the cliff of a nearby mountain without being noticed.

"This isn't good" said Breakaway.

 **The Story Begins part 3**

 _Carson City suburbs_

The school bell rang loud. Melody, along with many other students, stepped out of the science room with her backpack swung around her shoulder and headed for the exit.

"Yes; weekend, here I come!" said Melody.

"Hey, Melody—" said a voice. A boy with brown hair and eyes ran up to her.

"Hey Bobby" said Melody "Quite a day, huh?"

"Yeah, it was" said Melody as they just exited the building. It was then that she froze in her steps; because there, parked on the side of the road, was Arcee.

"I was just going to ask you something, is all" said Bobby.

"Huh…" said Melody whilst snapping out of her thoughts "Oh, okay; what is it?"

"Well; I was just wondering if we could go for a coffee" replied Bobby.

"Cool" said Melody "When?"

"Well; I was thinking now" replied Bobby "It's just; it's not too late yet and the café's not too far"

"Great; sounds good" said Melody "I'll just call my mom to—" It was then that she heard her phone ringing. She picked it up to find that Bumblebee was calling her. "Give me a moment" She answered it. "Hey Bee"

"Hey Melody" said Bumblebee "Prowl sent us to take you back to base. I sent Arcee along ahead; can you see her?"

"Yeah; I see" replied Melody "But can this wait? I mean, I could always come another time"

"Prowl tells us so I guess it has to be important" said Bumblebee "Believe me; you don't want to upset him"

"Alright; I'll come" said Melody. She put her phone back in her pocket. "I'm sorry, Bobby; but something's come up that I can't postpone"

"Oh, okay" said Bobby "See you next week, I guess"

"No; it's not like that" said Melody "We could do it next Friday, I promise"

"Okay; we'll do it then" said Bobby "See'ya, Melody" He walked off down the street. Melody walked down the steps. A girl with red hair and green eyes and wore a pair of glasses sat on the lawn in front of the steps typing on a blue laptop.

"Working on your homework early, Kate?" said Melody.

"Not really" replied Kate whilst closing her laptop and removing her glasses "Just testing my new laptop out" She stood up and placed her laptop into her bag. "That's a nice bike over there. I wonder who owns it"

"Oh; funny you should mention it, because…I…sort of own it" said Melody.

"Really?" said Kate.

"Yeah" said Melody.

"I didn't know you could drive a motorcycle" said Kate.

"Well…it's a rather recent thing" said Melody "I guess I just forgot to say"

"It looks brand new; how did you afford it?" asked Kate.

"You know…just saved up" said Melody.

"Looks nice" said Kate "My mom would never allow me on one. See you on Monday"

"See'ya" said Melody. She walked over to Arcee and noticed that a helmet lay on her seat which she picked up and looked at. "Come prepared, huh?"

"Prowl put us in charge of you" said Arcee "We're not taking any risks" Melody out on the helmet and mounted Arcee.

"I should point out at this moment that I've never driven a motorcycle in my life" said Melody.

"I guess there's first time for everything" said Arcee "But don't worry; just stay calm and look in control, I'll handle the rest" She backed out and drove off down the streets.

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

Prowl approached a cell which contained Barricade.

"Good; you're awake" said Prowl.

"Ha; let me guess, you're going to give me the good cop-bad cap deal" smirked Barricade "Well I'm not spilling anything"

"I'm not expecting you too" said Prowl "At least not voluntarily"

"What are you talking about?" snarled Barricade.

"You'll see" said Prowl "Now I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer me"

"Really?" said Barricade "Ha; good luck with that!" It was then that an alarm rang and Jazz entered.

"Hey; proximity sensors going off" said Jazz "The big guy must want some answers"

"We'll get back to this later" said Prowl. He and Jazz exited and entered the main room where the other Autobots stood.

"Looks like we've stirred up attention" said Bulkhead.

"Autobots, remember; it would be best if he didn't know of Melody just yet" said Optimus. Agent James Bluestone came down from an elevator that sat on a platform next to Teletraan. "Agent Bluestone, do you have something to report?"

"I do" replied Bluestone "The number of photos and videos taken of Transformer activity has increased. It's all over the internet; we're just lucky I'm able to calm down the ones that get too out of hand. But still; every time the media spots you, I have to clean up the mess. Do you know how many times you place the blame on hoaxes, hallucinations; even swamp gas gets old eventually"

"Just let us do our job" said Ironhide "You do yours"

"Easy, Ironhide" said Optimus "I wish we could be more discreet; and believe me, we are trying our best. Unfortunately, things are not so simple anymore; as I told you last night, the Decepticons have returned and they are making a move"

"That's the last thing we need right now" said Bluestone "So does this mean the big bad's back?"

"We have no confirmation of Megatron's involvement yet" said Optimus "However; from what we've found out, it would appear that Starscream is currently leading them. Whilst he is no Megatron, he is still a dangerous threat that we cannot underestimate"

"But you can stop them, right" said Bluestone "That's what you do, isn't it? You stop them over and over again"

"We will do what we can, but I cannot guarantee anything" said Optimus.

"I'll alert the government" said Bluestone "But I warn you; if they don't like those odds and decide to take things into their own hands, there's nothing I can do to stop it"

"Understood" said Optimus. Bluestone entered the elevator and went up.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee drove along the road towards the _Ark_ 's mountain when Bumblebee came and joined her on the road.

"Mind if I cut in" said Bumblebee.

"Not at all" said Arcee. As they drove towards the mountain, a grey Bell 212 flew off of a helipad on the top of the mountain and off into the sky.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway hid behind one of the _Nemesis_ 's fins and listened in to what the Decepticons were saying.

"And where is it located, my liege" said Starscream "Surely you must have some idea apart from this planet" Megatron got out a small hologram projector which brought up a hologram of Earth with a red mark on the Sahara desert.

"Shockwave was able to triangulate the coordinates" said Megatron "It is enough for us to search for it" He briefly looked over at the fin which Breakaway was hiding behind who scooched out of view.

"We will set coordinates for the Sahara" said Megatron "There you will send out mining parties to uncover it. I entrust you to it"

"Entrust us to it?" said Starscream "Wouldn't you rather lead the search yourself?"

"I have other business to attend to" said Megatron "I am travelling to a mountain range in Tibet; I believe the Humans call it "the Himalayas""

"And why's that?" asked Starscream.

"That information is need to know" said Megatron "And not by you…" He turned around towards the fin. "…or any Autobot for that matter!" He shot a blast at the fin causing Breakaway to almost fall off.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Breakaway.

"An Autobot spy!" snarled Starscream. Breakaway transformed and flew away. "Shall I send troopers to catch him, my lord?"

"No" replied Megatron "Let Prime know that he is doomed. It's not as though he could do anything about it"

"But if he learns about our operation—" said Starscream.

"Then we will be prepared" said Megatron "Set course for the Sahara"

 _Meanwhile_

"Optimus, this is reason enough to prove my point" said Prowl "Perhaps it is time the Humans take this into their own hands as well"

"If only it were that simple, Prowl" said Optimus. It was then that Bumblebee and Arcee entered. Melody hopped off of Arcee who transformed along with Bumblebee.

"Alright; so what was it you needed us for" said Bumblebee.

"Congratulations; you passed the test" said Prowl.

"Excuse me?" said Bumblebee.

"I asked you to bring her back to base and told you it was urgent to see how you'd respond" replied Prowl "You brought her here only a few minutes after I gave you the order. Well done"

"Uhhh…thank you" said Bumblebee somewhat confused.

"Prowl, I would like to inspect on our prisoner" said Optimus.

"Very well" said Prowl "Follow me" He, Optimus, and Jazz left the room.

"Well, it's about a few hours before my curfew; perhaps I could be given a guided tour" said Melody.

"With pleasure" said Arcee "Right now we're in the bridge"

"I made a few modifications just for you" said Wheeljack. He lay his hand down next to Melody who stepped onto it as he lifted her up to a platform in the corner. "I got you a television. Humans like televisions, right?" Melody walked over to the TV and looked at it. She also saw that a gaming console lay underneath it and picked up one of the controllers. "I also got you a console"

"How did you get his?" asked Melody.

"You know; bought it online" replied Wheeljack "I mean; it's not exactly like I could buy it in a store, right? He he" Arcee helped Melody down.

"C'mon; I'll show you the rest" said Arcee as they walked. Wheeljack looked back at the platform.

"Oh; I've really got to add stairs" said Wheeljack "Dang; I knew I forgot something!"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus, Jazz, and Prowl stood in front of Barricade's cell.

"He's only just woke up" said Prowl "I haven't been able to interrogate him just yet, but that's my next agenda"

"Remember to use humane forms only" said Optimus "We are not the Decepticons"

"No wonder you're losing the war" said Barricade "You're all too soft to go an extra mile. I suggest you quit while you still have your dignity"

"And I suggest you make yourself comfy" said Jazz "I mean; it's not the Cons are coming for you"

"Whatever; point is, I'll be out of here eventually" said Barricade.

"Then I guess we better begin our interrogation now" said Prowl. It was then that they heard the loud booming sound of a jet engine rocket towards them down the hallway just as Breakaway appeared, zoomed towards them, and transformed, rolling down in front of them.

"Breakaway, what happened?" said Optimus.

"Op…Optimus…I have news" said Breakaway "I was just out on patrol…when I…the _Nemesis_ …Megatron's back! He's just arrived on the _Nemesis_! He's…he's after something…"

"Woah woah; slow down" said Prowl "What is he after?"

"I'm not sure" said Breakaway "I only just found out when he was explaining his plan; and when I did try listening in, he found out I was there and shot at me"

"Then what did you catch?" asked Jazz.

"Whatever he's looking for, it's in the Sahara and he'll be sending the other Decepticons out to find it" said Breakaway.

"Anything else?" asked Optimus.

"He also said that he was going to the Himalayas" said Breakaway "I'm not sure why; it was at this point that he discovered me"

"I knew he was planning his next move" said Prowl "You don't just disappeared and return for no good reason"

"What do you think he's after this time, Optimus?" asked Jazz.

"Whatever it is, we need to find it before he does" said Optimus "No matter what happens; Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost"

 _Meanwhile in the Sahara_

Megatron entered the bridge.

"I trust we have reached our location?" asked Megatron.

"Indeed we have" said Starscream "We'll shortly send out the troops to search for it. If they discover anything, they will report back to us"

"I leave for Tibet now" said Megatron.

"Do you require a ground bridge?" asked Starscream.

"I can fly there myself" replied Megatron "Oh; and before I leave, I have something important. Slipstream, you are in charge of this operation" A look of utter shock came upon Starscream's face; Slipstream's face, however, beamed and gave a smirk towards him. She stepped forward and bowed to Megatron.

"Thank you, my lord" said Slipstream "I will not fail you"

"I trust you won't" said Megatron "Soundwave, a word" He exited the bridge with Soundwave following him. They walked out into the hallway. "I wish for you to accompany me to Tibet. I have a job for you"

 _Meanwhile_

Wheeljack held a metal staircase and slowly and steadily moved it towards the television platform.

"That's it…" said Wheeljack quietly "That's it…" He placed the staircase onto the platform and his right hand turned into a welding torch which he used to weld it on. "Bingo!" Optimus entered with Jazz, Prowl, and Breakaway following behind him.

"Breakaway, I saw you fly in" said Ratchet "Is anything wrong?"

"Breakaway has just flown back from the _Nemesis_ " said Optimus "He has confirmed our worst fears. Megatron has indeed returned and he is looking for something on this planet"

"Well what is it?" asked Ironhide.

"We do not yet know" said Optimus "Only that he is looking for it in the Sahara. We have to find it. Jazz, lead an expedition to the Sahara; take every available Autobot with you"

"Define "available"" said Jazz.

"Breakaway has also told us that Megatron is looking for something in the Himalayas" said Optimus "Finding and capturing him could turn the tide of the war. Ratchet, Ironhide, you will accompany me"

"Perhaps we'll finally get a chance to kick that scrapheap across space" said Ironhide whilst banging his fists together.

" **Preferably** we'll be taking him back to base as our prisoner" said Ratchet.

"Just sayin'" said Ironhide.

"Autobots, prepare yourselves" said Optimus.

"Whatever you say, Optimus" said Breakaway "I'll be right there"

"Actually; I think it would be best if you stayed behind" said Ratchet "I understand that you're eager to help; but you just escaped the _Nemesis_ with your life twice, I think it would be better if you were to stay behind and recuperate"

"With respect, Ratchet; Megatron realized that Breakaway was there, so that means that he knows we're coming" said Jazz "He'll be prepared for us, so we'll need as many Autobots available as we can get. Plus; quite a few of the Cons are airborne and Breakaway's presence would be the closest thing to evening out the playing field"

"That is true" said Optimus "But Ratchet raises a good point; we must be at our full strength on missions. Breakaway, you will sit this one out"

"And make sure you have a good long rest" said Ratchet.

"Fine; whatever you say, Optimus" said Breakaway whilst exiting the room.

"I'll stay behind to interrogate Barricade" said Prowl "If we focus on two pathways, we'll get things done faster. Who knows; perhaps he even has something about Megatron's plan"

"Good thinking, Prowl" said Optimus "Drop us off at the Himalayas first" Prowl walked over to the ground bridge controls and opened one up.

 _Meanwhile in the Himalayas_

Soundwave dropped down on top of a ledge in front of the ground bridge.

"Ravage: Eject" said Soundwave "Operation: Infiltration" A black mechanical jaguar with piercing red optics and a pair of rockets mounted on his hips leapt out of his chest and bounded down towards the ground bridge, sneaking through it just as Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet walked out. Soundwave hid himself behind a large rock. "Megatron, Ravage has been successfully entered the Autobot's ground bridge"

"Good work, Soundwave" said Megatron's voice through his comlink.

"I cannot detect him, however" said Soundwave "The Autobot base is presumably cloaked from our sensors"

"Never mind that; does he know of his task" said Megatron.

"Yes, Lord Megatron" said Soundwave "He will free Barricade or silence him; it is depending on the situation"

"Perfect" said Megatron "Leave the rest to me"

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl shut the ground bridge down, entered new coordinates, and opened a new one.

"Okay; this one's for the Sahara" said Prowl.

"Okay bots; let's move out" said Jazz. He moved towards the portal before being stopped by Prowl.

"Good luck" said Prowl "And be careful"

"Ain't I always?" smirked Jazz.

"Funny; but you know what I mean" said Prowl "The Decepticons will be expecting you so try to keep a low profile. If you find yourself overwhelmed, call for a ground bridge"

"Got it" said Jazz. Bulkhead, and Wheeljack entered the ground bridge. "Bee, you comin'?"

"I'll go get Arcee" said Bumblebee "We'll need all the help we can get" He rushed towards the door where Arcee and Melody had gone down. "Don't wait for us; we'll catch up" He rushed off through the door.

"Go through" said Prowl "I'll close the ground bridge after you and reopen it when they return. We can't draw too much attention"

"Got it" said Jazz "Later!" He ran through the ground bridge.

 _Meanwhile_

"And here we are at our quarters" said Arcee as she and Melody entered the quarters hallway.

"Quarters?" said Melody "Why do you have quarters?"

"Well…to sleep" said Arcee "And to spend time to ourselves"

"I didn't know you guys could sleep" said Melody.

"Because we're robots?" said Arcee "We sleep; in fact, we pretty do most things Humans do. Don't think of us simply as machines, more as…robotic lifeforms"

"So…there was one thing I was meaning to ask" said Melody.

"And what was that?" asked Arcee.

"Well…I know that Prime told me about your war and why you're here but…I was just wondering if you could be a little more in-depth about it" said Melody "If you know what I mean"

"Okay" said Arcee "I wasn't born when the war started, pretty much all I know is common knowledge along with what I've experienced myself. Megatron was once a revolutionary leader who claimed to believe in peace and would create a just society. He was a good friend of Optimus and cared for the lives of others. His followers started off small but soon spread to almost hundreds"

"Then how did he become…bad?" asked Melody.

"I don't know the full story, but what I do know is that he didn't get along well with the leading council" replied Arcee "The council had been leading Cybertron for centuries and kept things in order; despite this however, our society was going corrupt. Everything from crime to warlords; Cybertron wasn't in the greatest shape. He viewed their command as obsolete and everything that stood in the way of his vision becoming reality. Things got really bad really quick and he eventually declared war on the council, naming himself and his followers as the Decepticons. Those of us who sided with the council named ourselves Autobots; our insignia was based off the Elite Guard symbol, who acted as our planet's elite police and military force. Eventually; the war got worse and worse until eventually the planet suffered so much damage and destruction and the core shut down. Cybertron was left cold and barren with our cities and environment decaying. Many of us escaped in our ships; our ship, the _Ark_ was the last one"

"So you left Cybertron to find a new home" said Melody.

"Not entirely" said Arcee "Legend tells of a means to revive Cybertron. Long before Cybertron even existed, there was the AllSpark—a source of eternal power that could create life. The first of our race were created by it, but it was lost to the stars many centuries ago. When the _Ark_ was finished and we left Cybertron, Optimus had hoped to use this as a chance to find it and revive our home. As it turns out, Megatron had the same thought. He himself had built a ship called the _Nemesis_ and pursued after us. We were chased for years until we eventually reached your solar system and engaged in a lengthy battle which resulted in their ship crashing into the moon and our ship crashing here on Earth. We thought we had seen the last of Megatron and his army, but they fixed their ship and remained here on Earth. It turns out that your planet was rich with energon"

"Energon?" said Melody.

"It is the fuel and life blood of our race" said Arcee "The Decepticons stayed on Earth to harvest it and become more powerful. Optimus knew that Megatron would have much bigger plans for your planet soon enough, so we stayed to protect you all from them. That and the fact that the ship was damaged beyond repair; trust me, Ratchet and Wheeljack looked over it many times and they just couldn't fix it"

"So if you've been on Earth for so long, am I the first Human to have actually met you and know of your existence?" asked Melody.

"Not exactly" replied Arcee "It wasn't long until your Earth government found out about us. It took some time but we eventually made a deal with them; they'd let us stay here on Earth, and in return we would stay quiet and keep the Decepticons at bay. We don't talk to most of them often; mostly we have our government liaison, Special Agent Bluestone, send along a message when we need to. He also helps us out with covering up the evidence" Melody was almost certain that the Agent Bluestone she had referred to was the one she saw yesterday on TV; but for some reason, she felt that stating it would a little awkward.

"I still can't believe how Megatron become so bad" said Melody.

"War changes people" said Arcee. She closed her eyes for a brief moment. "Believe me" At that moment, Bumblebee skidded in.

"Hey Arcee, we've got ourselves a mission" said Bumblebee "Sahara. Jazz and the others have gone on ahead"

"Well then, let's go" said Arcee. She and Bumblebee sprinted back into the main room with Melody close behind. Prowl opened the ground bridge. Bumblebee lifted Melody up his hand and placed her down on the TV's platform.

"We'll be right back" said Bumblebee. He and Arcee ran through the ground bridge. Prowl walked over to the platform.

"You know, they're probably going to take a while" said Prowl "Perhaps it would be best if I were to escort you home before your curfew"

"I'm not sure mom would be keen on the idea of me arriving home in a police car" said Melody.

"Why; are you already a legal offender?" said Prowl.

"No; I just think she'd find it odd" said Melody.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee arrived at the sandy hills of the Sahara.

"Jazz, we've just arrived" said Bumblebee into his comlink "Can you tell us your position?"

"Good job, Bumblebee" said Jazz out of his comlink "We've each gone off in our own directions. Bulkhead's gone west of your position, Wheeljack's gone east, and I've gone North"

"Which means we've got south" said Bumblebee.

"Be on the lookout for Decepticon activity or anything suspicious" said Jazz.

"So what are we looking for?" asked Arcee.

"Breakaway was spying on the Decepticons when he found out some bad news; Megatron's back and he's looking for something here" said Bumblebee "We don't know what it is, but we know it's nothing good" Unbeknownst to them, a small group of Vehicons were secretly hiding behind one of the hills and watching.

"Looks like we got ourselves some Autobots" said one of the Vehicons quietly.

"If it's so important, why isn't everyone else here too?" asked Arcee.

"Ratchet told Breakaway to stay behind and rest" said Bumblebee "Optimus, Ratchet, and Ironhide have gone to the Himalayas to find him because he was apparently going there for something"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Arcee "If Megatron's after something then we have to get to it fast" It was then that a laser blast flew past them. The Vehicons were rushing up to them.

"Scrap!" said Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously. Their hands turned into their blasters and they started firing back.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet climbed a mountain. Ironhide briefly grabbed hold of a small ledge but pulled it too hard causing it to fall off, sending debris falling down towards Ratchet bellow him.

"Watch it!" said Ratchet.

"Careful, Ironhide" said Optimus. They pulled themselves up to a cliff face. Optimus heard a jet noise. He saw Megatron fly towards the mountain they were on and disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" said Ironhide.

"That's what we're going to find out" said Optimus "At least now we know he's close"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody sat on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table whilst playing on her phone. At that moment, Breakaway entered.

"Still hanging around here, huh?" said Breakaway.

"Yeah; I mean, I've got nothing better to do" said Melody "I was going to hang out with a friend this afternoon but I had to turn it down"

"Why'd you do that?" asked Breakaway.

"Prowl sent Bumblebee and Arcee to bring me here" replied Melody "Turns out he was only testing them"

"Yeah, he does that stuff" said Breakaway "You'll get used to it eventually"

"On the plus side, Arcee was able to tell me about some of Cybertron history" said Melody.

"Really?" said Breakaway "Like what?"

"Well; about Megatron, the war, why you left Cybertron, why you're stuck here on Earth, she even told me about your Human liaison" said Melody

"Yeah; he's useful but can be a bit demanding at times" said Breakaway "He doesn't usually come here though; so you don't have to worry about bumping into him. Good thing too, I don't think he'd respond well to—"

"Prime?" said a voice. Breakaway turned around to find Agent Bluestone standing there. He tried to block Melody from his sight.

"Agent Bluestone!" exclaimed Breakaway "Quite unexpected. How long have you been there?"

"What do you mean how long?" asked Bluestone "I've only just arrived"

"Really?" said Breakaway "I don't think I heard the proximity sensor go off" What none of them realized was that a pair of piercing red optics watched them from the ceiling. "That's quite unusual isn't it; I mean, I don't know if it's busted or—"

"Who were you talking to?" asked Bluestone.

"Who?" said Breakaway "Me? I…ah…I…" He sighed. "Look; I have no excuse. Just bear with me on this, okay" He stood aside to reveal Melody. Bluestone sighed.

"Now this is exactly what we're trying to avoid" said Bluestone "Civilians are not supposed to know about any of this"

"Look, I can explain" said Breakaway "Bumblebee and Arcee were on patrol when the Decepticons followed them and…well; a battle ensued and she got in the middle of it so the Decepticons thought she was with us so we had to bring her into it so she would be protected…but it's okay; we're protecting her now" Bluestone sighed again.

"How am I going to explain this?" said Bluestone.

"Well; you won't have to because…scrap, if only Optimus was here" said Breakaway. Bluestone turned to Melody.

"Young lady, you're coming with me" said Bluestone. A metal paw appeared out of the shadows just below the red optics.

"Don't take it personally, but I'm not going anywhere" said Melody.

"It's not an option" said Bluestone "We can't risk civilians like this without proper protection"

"She has Optimus Prime himself making sure that she's safe" said Breakaway "If that's not "proper protection", then what—" Suddenly, he was hit with a dart that stunned him, causing him to collapse on the ground.

"What the heck was that?" said Bluestone before Ravage lunged down on top of him and knocked him out. He then turned towards Melody and leapt across to her platform. Melody backed off but Ravage slowly crept up towards her ready to pounce. Melody acted quickly by grabbing hold of the table and flipping it over at Ravage. She then quickly sprinted off down the stairs but Ravage leapt over towards her and landed on the ground bridge controls. However; by doing so, he accidently pulled the lever down causing the ground bridge to open up. Without a second thought, Melody ran through the portal and disappeared. Ravage leapt down too late to catch her and roared at the portal in disappointment. However, he did not follow after her as he didn't wish to deviate from his task.

 _Meanwhile_

Melody ran out of the portal and into the Sahara desert where Bumblebee and Arcee were fighting the Vehicons. She took one look at the chaos and turned back to the portal, only for it to disappear.

"This can't be good" said Melody quietly. Arcee, who was struggling with a Vehicon, caught sight of her. She kicked the Vehicon to the side and transformed, driving towards her fast and stopped at Melody who hopped on. She then drove off towards a large rock and hid behind it. Bumblebee caught sight of this, transformed, and drove after them. Arcee transformed with Bumblebee following suit.

"What the heck happened?" said Arcee "Why are you here?"

"I was chased out of base" replied Melody "I think it was a Decepticon"

"Decepticons?" said Bumblebee "In our base? How did they get in there?"

"I don't know" replied Melody "He seemed to be hiding the whole time"

"If a Decepticon is in our base, could this mean they now know our location?" said Bumblebee.

"If they entered through the ground bridge portal, they may not even know the location itself" said Arcee "Besides; the base's shielding should keep them from contacting the _Nemesis_. That aside, how did you get out here"

"It accidently activated the ground bridge" said Melody. Arcee raised an eyebrow.

"And…you just ran through?" said Arcee.

"It stunned Breakaway and cornered me" said Melody "I didn't know what to do"

"Can you describe the Con?" said Bumblebee "I mean; was it just a generic soldier or was there something distinctive about it"

"It looked like a robot…cat" said Melody. A look of shock came on Bumblebee's face.

"Soundwave!" said Bumblebee "This could be even worse than we thought"

"Soundwave must have sent him to free Barricade" said Arcee "And we both know that once Ravage is given a task he'll follow it through"

"Looks like they'll need us" said Bumblebee "I'll radio Prowl for a ground bridge"

"What if Ravage has taken him out too?" said Arcee.

"It's our best hope" said Bumblebee "We'll have to risk it. Besides; if anything happens to Melody, Prowl's gonna' kill us" It was then that he accidently touched the rock that they were hiding behind; and what none of them had noticed was that it was covered in mysterious black markings which turned blue in the area he touched. This caused the ground to pull out from bellow them, causing them to fall down with the ground closing over.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus, Ironhide, and Ratchet reached a cave at the area where Megatron had disappeared.

"So this is where he went" said Ratchet quietly.

"Be on guard, Autobots" said Optimus "Megatron could be leading us into an ambush" They slowly walked forward through the darkness.

"Megatron's trapped himself in here" said Ironhide quietly "If we can find him, we could corner him"

"I think we both know that it's never as easy as that, Ironhide" said Optimus quietly. Ratchet meanwhile was examining the walls of the tunnel as they walked along.

"This cave; it's not natural, it's been artificially created" said Ratchet quietly.

"How can you tell?" asked Optimus quietly.

"There's evidence of structures as well as markings" replied Ratchet quietly "Someone has tunneled their way through here"

"Then this is a Decepticon made cave?" said Ironhide.

"Most likely" said Ratchet "I mean; I don't imagine the Humans would have done something like this up here" It was then that they heard a loud rattling coming from behind them.

"What's that?" said Ironhide quietly. Turning around, they discovered that a large metal door was closing down behind them at the entrance of the cave. "Well this is just Prime! Now how are we gonna' get out?" Optimus turned his headlights on with Ironhide and Ratchet following suit.

"We've been played" said Optimus quietly.

"Hello?" said Ironhide quietly through his comlink with no reply "Prowl, Breakaway; do you either of you copy?" There was still no reply. "Scrap! Should've known we couldn't contact base"

"We'll just have to find our way out ourselves" said Ratchet. Suddenly, they were blinded by a sudden light which came on all around them. As their optics adjusted to the light, they heard a familiar and haunting voice appear from behind them.

"Hello Prime" said the voice. They turned around and came face-to-face with the speaker.

"Megatron!" said Optimus.

 _To be continued..._

 **Author's note #1** : Whilst this is indeed a five part premiere, I'm trying my best to make it different from _Darkness Rising_ as much as possible. If anyone has advice, feel free to share.

 **Author's note #2** : I always felt that the Human factor was an important part of _Transformers_ , but one that could turn out hit-and-miss. I think _Prime_ perhaps handled it best so I'm taking influence from it. If anyone has advice, feel free to share. Anyways; that's all for now, see you next time.


	4. The Story Begins part 4

**Author's note** : Sorry for the hiatus; I intend to update every week or two weeks, but sometimes things get caught up (especially with writer's block).

 _The Himalayas_

Megatron stepped forward with a large grin across his face.

"Did you miss me?" smirked Megatron.

"Of course" said Ironhide "After all; I thought I'd never get a chance to blast you again"

"I was actually talking to Prime himself" said Megatron "Not to his lackeys, like you"

"Oh yeah?" said Ironhide whilst stepping forward "Why don't you—" Optimus kept him back.

"Why have you led us here?" asked Optimus.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" said Megatron "I realized that your flyer was spying on us, so I intentionally said that I was coming here because I knew you would follow"

"But what is the meaning of this?" asked Optimus.

"The meaning of this?" said Megatron "We are merely going to end the war; at least, here on Earth" He grabbed two large swords from the corner and threw one to Optimus who caught it. "It's you and me now, Prime; we will duel to decide the fate of the planet"

"Explain further" said Optimus.

"We each represent our factions" said Megatron "If you win; you and your Autobots will be allowed to stay here on Earth whilst I and my Decepticons shall leave you in peace. If I win however; the Decepticons will be allowed to stay here and mine for energon whilst you and your Autobots shall leave" Optimus thought for a second before coming up with his response.

"I accept your challenge" said Optimus.

"I had a feeling you would, Prime" smirked Megatron

"Optimus, I advise you to be more careful" said Ratchet quietly "Megatron has led us into a trap, no doubt he's got something planned"

"That may be true, Ratchet" said Optimus quietly "But we're trapped in here and have nowhere to turn. For now, we'll have to play along" He retracted over his battle mask, readied his sword, and slowly walked over to Megatron.

"Let the best leader win" smirked Megatron. The two of them clashed their swords together.

 **The Story Begins part 4**

 _The Sahara_

Bumblebee awoke in a dark cavern-like tunnel.

"Geez" said Bumblebee whilst rubbing the back of his head. Arcee got herself up.

"What just happened?" said Arcee.

"We fell down somewhere, that's for sure" said Bumblebee.

"Where's Melody?" said Arcee.

"I'm here" said Melody whilst getting up from Bumblebee's hand.

"I don't think it was too far a fall" said Bumblebee. He had a look around.

"Where are we?" said Arcee.

"I'm not sure" replied Bumblebee whilst standing up "We just dropped down here. Better call Prowl. Hello, Prowl?" There was only static. "Prowl?" There was only static. "Blast; no communication down here" He looked up at the trap door they had fallen down, which appeared to be closed. He reached up and tried to pry it open, to no avail. "Looks like we're not getting out that way" Arcee got herself up and placed Melody on her shoulder.

"Then we'll just keep walking forward until we find a way out" said Arcee.

"Good idea; let's do it" said Bumblebee. They walked down the tunnel.

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream stood in front of the rock that Bumblebee, Arcee, and Melody had disappeared behind. She observed the area, but was unaware of the rock's markings since they were worn down and barely visible. A Vehicon walked up to her.

"Commander, we have searched the area yet there is no sign of the Autobots" said the Vehicon.

"Forget the Autobots; our primary mission is to find the AllSpark before the Autobots" said Slipstream "Continue looking for it"

"Yes commander" said the Vehicon. He moved off. Starscream flew down, transformed, and landed in front of Slipstream.

"Lost something?" smirked Starscream. Slipstream frowned. "You didn't exactly answer my question, now did you?"

"What are you doing here, Starscream?" said Slipstream.

"Just seeing how everything is working out" smirked Starscream "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Yes there is" said Slipstream "Megatron entrusted me to do this task, not you"

"Which begs the question; I second-in-command, so it is just confusing why I wasn't placed in charge" said Starscream

"Simple; after everything you've pulled throughout this war, he's got barely any reasons to trust you" said Slipstream "You've stabbed him in the back and attempted to seize power for yourself so much that I lost count; face it, Screamer, never beat him, stronger Cons than you have both tried and failed. At this point, it's basically just an obsession" Starscream snarled and turned his back hastily.

"Fine" said Starscream "I'll be off then" He transformed and flew off.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz drove up to a small oasis, unintentionally scaring away some oryx and gazelle as he transformed (the camels however were merely disturbed for a few seconds before simply ignoring it and carrying on what they were doing). Bulkhead and Wheeljack arrived as well and transformed.

"Good; we're all here" said Jazz "How's the progress going, guys?"

"No sign of anything yet" said Wheeljack "This is a big place, even for us; it could take years to find any trace of the AllSpark"

"Wait; where's Bumblebee and Arcee?" said Bulkhead.

"They should be here" said Jazz "I told all of us to return…dammit! I can't believe I forgot to tell them about the rendezvous point"

"Happens to all of us" said Wheeljack.

"I'll have to call 'em them straight away" said Jazz "Bumblebee, this is Jazz; do you read me?" There was no reply. "Do you read me?" There was still no reply. "Arcee, do you read me?" There was still no reply. "Damn; can't reach 'em"

"Then we have to go find them" said Bulkhead.

"We have no idea where they are and we can't contact them; it'll take a long time to find them" said Jazz. What none of them noticed was that a blue F-15 Eagle flew above them, who was none other than Thundercracker.

"Thundercracker to _Nemesis_ , I have spotted Autobots" said Thundercracker "Requesting backup"

"Looks like we're got company" said Wheeljack "Looks like it's Thundercracker"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Bulkhead "We can't let him get away!" Their hands turned into their blasters and they started shooting at Thundercracker who flew away over the hill. "Ha; must've scared him off" It was then that the _Nemesis_ appeared over the hill.

"Well this isn't good" said Jazz. A group of Vehicon jets flew out from the _Nemesis_ 's hanger, transformed before them, and began shooting. Jazz and the others bean shooting back.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and Megatron clashed determinedly with their swords.

"Not bad…for a librarian; maybe you should have spent your time in the pits" said Megatron.

"Maybe you should have spent your time in the library" said Optimus.

"You show him, Prime!" said Ironhide.

"Try not to distract him" said Ratchet quietly.

"I'm just trying to cheer him on" said Ironhide.

"Well do it subtlety" said Ratchet quietly "Optimus needs his full concentration for this. We cannot afford to lose this fight" Megatron struck forward with his sword.

 _Meanwhile_

A violet and teal F-15 Eagle flew towards the _Nemesis_ and transformed into Slipstream.

"What's going on here?" said Slipstream.

"We discovered a group of Autobots in a nearby area" said a Vehicon "We're dealing with them now" Slipstream walked over to the edge of the ship and saw the battle.

"We'll deal with them swiftly and go back to work" said Slipstream "Our primary mission is to find the AllSpark; these Autobots are just a diversion. Send out more troops"

"Yes commander" said the Vehicon. He turned and entered the _Nemesis_. Jazz leapt over two Vehicons and blasted them with his blasters. It was then that more Vehicons dropped out of the _Nemesis_ and began attacking as well.

"These Cons just keep coming and coming" said Bulkhead whilst smashing a Vehicon with his maces "How are we supposed to stop them?"

"We can't" replied Jazz "We're already outnumbered; they're just going to send out more until we're dead. We'll have to fall back"

"Kinda' busy!" said Wheeljack whilst blasting various Vehicons.

"We'll hold our ground until the right moment" said Jazz "Just hang with me, guys; we'll get through this" It was then that they heard a loud deafening sonic boom as Thundercracker and Skywarp flew towards them. Thundercracker pulled up as he reached them; whilst Skywarp transformed and teleported behind Jazz.

"Bet you weren't expecting to see me, Autobots!" taunted Skywarp. Jazz shot at him but he teleported to the side. "Missed me!" Jazz shot again but he teleported to the other side. "Try again!" Jazz shot again but teleported to the side again. "You never learn, do you? Perhaps that's why you're losing the wa—" It was at that moment that Bulkhead knocked him out with his mace.

"You talk too much, you know that right?" said Bulkhead.

"Nice goin', Bulk" said Jazz whilst giving him a high-five.

"Still isn't enough" snarled Slipstream whilst observing the battle "Time to tip the playing field; Lugnut, you're up"

"Here I go!" said Lugnut before leaping off of the _Nemesis_ and plummeting towards the ground, turning his hand into an explosive pad.

"Oh no, this is not good" said Jazz. He transformed and drove out of the way as Lugnut landed on the ground, creating an explosion as on impact. "Guys, follow me" Bulkhead and Wheeljack transformed and drove after Jazz over the hill, using the sand from the explosion as cover.

"Stop them!" snarled Slipstream. Jazz and the others transformed and took cover behind the hill.

"We're in way over our heads" said Jazz "I'll call Prowl for a ground bridge"

"But what about Bumblebee and Arcee?" said Bulkhead "We can't just leave them here"

"We'll come back for them" said Jazz "We'll never leave one of our own, no matter what. But right now, we need to get to safety"

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"We go on for this for days; it's your choice, of course" said Prowl.

"You can say that but I won't say anything" said Barricade "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Ha; I won't spill. Besides; Starscream would probably have me punished for something like that"

"So you are hiding something" said Prowl.

"What!" exclaimed Barricade "What are you talking about?"

"If the Decepticons have something so covert that Starscream would punish anyone who let the Autobots know of it, then it must be something very important" said Prowl.

"Well…" said Barricade.

"You think you can ward me off by simply talking?" said Prowl "Interrogation doesn't need to be threatening or painful; everything you say leads me closer to the truth" Barricade began to look nervous. "Every facial twitch, both subtle and obvious, only makes it easier. Believe me, you're secrets are not safe with me" Barricade gulped. It was then that Prowl heard something coming from Teletraan I. "We'll continue this shortly" He left the cell area, completely unaware that Ravage awaited hidden outside and rushed in unseen. Ravage ran up to Barricade's cell.

"Ha; should've figured they'd send someone in eventually" smirked Barricade. Ravage simply shot the controls with both his rockets, causing the cell's shielding to go down.

 _Meanwhile_

"Prowl, do you hear me; this is Jazz" said Jazz through Teletraan I "Prowl, do you hear me; this is Jazz!" Prowl entered the room and was immediately mortified to see what he found. Breakaway lay unconscious on the ground as did Agent Bluestone on his platform.

"By Primus!" said Prowl. He ran over to Agent Bluestone to check his pulse, which was still going. "That's a relief" He then went over to Breakaway to check him. He found the dart that had knocked him out, pulled it out, and observed it. "Ravage! This is not good"

"Prowl, do you read me?" said Jazz. Prowl rushed over to Teletraan and pressed the respond button.

"Jazz, this is—" said Prowl shortly before being shot in the back and knocked unconscious by Barricade, who had just then entered the room.

"Nice try" smirked Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee continued walking through the tunnel.

"You know; the more we walk through here, the more this tunnel begins to feel like a hallway" said Bumblebee whilst running his fingers along the walls "I mean; these walls, they're made of metal and it feels like this was made specifically for walking through"

"How could that be possible?" asked Melody.

"Over the years, we've found a lot of Cybertronian relics and technology on this planet" replied Arcee "I wouldn't be surprised if…wait a second; what if this is what the Cons are looking for? I mean, we know that the Decepticons are looking for something important"

"But what exactly is it about this they want?" said Bumblebee. It was then that they reached a door at the end of the tunnel. "Now what have we here?" He stepped forward which caused the door to open automatically. They entered the room on the other side and what they found was caused them to stop in their tracks. "I don't believe it…" Standing before them was a large grey cube-like object with various markings on it that glowed blue.

"I never thought in my whole life that I would actually see it" said Arcee.

"What is that?" asked Melody.

"That, Melody, is the AllSpark" replied Arcee "It must be what the Decepticons are after"

"Then what is it doing here?" asked Melody.

"It was sent off by our ancestors generations ago" replied Arcee "Who would have thought that it would end up here of all places" Bumblebee walked up to the AllSpark.

"We're perhaps the first Cybertronians to see the AllSpark in centuries" said Bumblebee "This is absolutely amazing" He reached his hand out to the AllSpark and touched it. Suddenly, the AllSpark began to shift in on itself and shrink down until it was big enough to fit in his hands; this was all to everyone's surprise.

"How did it do that?" said Melody.

"I'm not even sure about that myself" said Bumblebee "We have to get above ground to call for a ground bridge. We can't let the Decepticons get ahold of it"

 _Meanwhile_

"You're really giving this your all; aren't you, Prime?" smirked Megatron "Tell me, where was this enthusiasm back on Cybertron; if you were at least half as passionate about the war as you are in this fight, you may have had a chance of winning the war"

"A war that you started, Megatron" said Optimus.

"We both know that the war started long before that" said Megatron "With the actions the council was taking, a full-scale war was inevitable. Must you blind yourself to that fact?"

"Must you blind yourself to the fact that this war has no meaning?" said Optimus. Megatron pushed him back and sliced forward with Optimus meeting his blade again.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl slowly regained consciousness.

"You're awake" said Barricade "That didn't take long" He pinned Prowl to the ground with his foot.

"So the Decepticons came for you after all" said Prowl.

"And they'll be very pleased when I give them your base" said Barricade. He walked over to the ground bridge controls and pulled the lever, activating the portal. "Ha; what I stroke of luck"

"Teletraan can detect Decepticons; there's no way you could've inputted coordinates" said Prowl.

"I don't need to" said Barricade "As soon as I am on the other side of the portal, I will contact the _Nemesis_ to come to my location. Once there, we will then be able to enter your base and wait for the rest of you Autobots to come back. We'll slaughter every last one of you and I will be rewarded for all of it"

"You won't win" said Prowl.

"I will" said Barricade "Everything's under my control. But before I go, there is one loose end to tie up" His hand turned into his blaster and he pointed it at Prowl's face. "I can't risk you closing the portal after I'm gone, so I'm killing you now" He began charging his blaster when was suddenly blasted back. Breakaway got himself up slowly and steadily.

"Don't even think about it" said Breakaway. Barricade got himself back up and pointed his blaster towards Breakaway.

"I thought Ravage killed you!" snarled Barricade.

"Only got stunned" said Breakaway pointing his blaster back at Barricade. Prowl began crawling towards Teletraan I. Ravage crawled out from behind a crate and snarled at Breakaway. "Seems we have a standoff"

"Not for long" said Barricade "One of us is going shoot; and if the shot misses, the other will retaliate. Are you prepared for, or have you got no spine?"

"Teletraan I, activate sentry mode" said Prowl quietly.

" _Sentry mode: Activated"_

Various blaster turrets retracted out from the roof and targeted Barricade and Ravage.

"We've got you now" said Prowl. Barricade looked back at the portal behind him.

"Well played" said Barricade. He transformed and zoomed off through the portal, with Ravage hopping onto his roof. The turrets continuously shot at him, but he escaped through the portal too quickly to be stopped. Prowl walked over to the ground bridge controls.

"Can't risk it" said Prowl. He pulled up the lever, shutting the ground bridge off.

"Do you think we should warn the others about Barricade?" said Breakaway.

"Wait a second; Jazz!" exclaimed Prowl. He rushed over to Teletraan.

 _Meanwhile_

Bulkhead drove off through the sand with Jazz and Wheeljack holding onto the top of him and shooting back at Vehicon jets that chased after them. The large shadow of the _Nemesis_ began to loom over them as its cannons turned to them and began to shoot. Bulkhead drove away from the shots.

"This day just isn't getting any better, is it?" said Wheeljack. Jazz looked up at Thundercracker who was chasing after them before leaping off of Bulkhead and landing on top of one of it.

"Eh; get off of me!" snarled Thundercracker.

"What are you doing?" said Wheeljack

"Improvising" said Jazz. He began shooting down Vehicons whilst pulling Thundercracker's wings left and right to steer.

"Jazz, this is Prowl; do you read me?" said Prowl through his comlink "Jazz, do you read me?"

"Loud and clear, Robocop" replied Jazz into his comlink "But I'm right in the middle of something here"

"But you were calling for help earlier" said Prowl.

"You didn't respond" said Jazz.

"Had a little run in with Barricade" said Prowl "I was about to open—"

"Wait; Barricade got out?" said Jazz.

"Barricade got out?" said Wheeljack. It was then that Bulkhead realized that he was driving up to Barricade, who realized this and turned around, turning his hands into blasters.

"Oh scrap!" said Bulkhead. Barricade began shooting; but it was at that moment that Bulkhead transformed, sending Wheeljack flying back and grabbing onto Barricade's chest and throwing him into a dead tree.

"Look; I know I called for help…" said Jazz shortly before shooting down another Vehicon "…but I'm kinda' busy right now"

"I can open a ground bridge to your coordinates" said Prowl.

"Hold that bridge" said Jazz "I've just got to finish something off first" He resumed shooting down the Vehicons; but suddenly, another Vehicon dived down to him and began shooting, but Jazz shot it back, causing it to slam back into the _Nemesis_. However, it had landed near the engines and was enthralled by them. It transformed in an attempt to grab onto something, but it was no use.

"Ah ah AHHHHHHH!" screamed the Vehicon as it was sucked into the engines, causing them to explode.

"Woah!" said Jazz. He pushed down on Thundercracker's wings, causing him to crash into the ground.

"What just happened?" said Slipstream into her comlink.

"The engines are badly damaged" said a Vehicon through her comlink "I'm afraid we're going to crash"

"Make sure you control it!" snapped Slipstream "I'll be there shortly" She turned to enter the ship. The _Nemesis_ slowly began to descend to the ground before crashing behind a large sand dune.

"Well that got him" said Jazz. He heard a transforming sound and turned around to find a badly beaten Thundercracker lying in front of him. His hand turned into his blaster and he pointed it at him. "Looks like we've got ourselves another prisoner" Suddenly, Barricade swooped in, grabbed Thundercracker, and dashed off with him swung around his shoulder.

"This is Barricade, requesting a ground bridge!" said Barricade into his comlink. A ground bridge appeared in front of him and he dashed through it.

"Damn; they got away!" said Wheeljack.

"Prowl, about that ground bridge…" said Jazz into his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"There has to be a way out of here somewhere" said Bumblebee as they walked down another tunnel. It was then that they reached a dead end with a small panel. "Stick close, guys" He pressed his hand on the panel which caused a glass container to be formed around them and lifted them up like an elevator.

"Everything seems to be going our way" said Melody "Wouldn't there be some sort "extra security" or something?"

"The AllSpark was sent off long before the war; to it, all Cybertronians are friendly" said Arcee.

"I remember now; just before we fell down here, I touched the rock we were hiding behind" said Bumblebee "It must have been part of the ship" They reached the surface with the container closing behind them. "We definitely should get this back to base. I'll call for a ground bridge" Suddenly, a bright flash of red and white zoomed down from the sky and rammed into Bumblebee.

"Bee!" exclaimed Arcee. As the flash slowed down, it slowly began to resemble a jet before transforming into Starscream and snatching the AllSpark out of Bumblebee's hands.

"What a coincidence; I was just prowling around the desert in search of any trace of the AllSpark when I came across you Autobots" said Starscream "Thank you for this!" Arcee's hands turned into her blasters and she pointed them at him.

"Drop the AllSpark and get away from Bumblebee!" said Arcee.

"Now, now; let's not be so hasty, little one" smirked Starscream whilst throwing the AllSpark up and down in his hand as if it were nothing "I hold in my hand an age-old artifact of unimaginable power that could perhaps revive even Cybertron, and you tell me to drop it?" Arcee bared her teeth. "Goodbye" He transformed and flew off. Arcee shot at him but he was too fast.

"Scrap!" said Arcee under her breath. She then ran over to Bumblebee to help him. Unbeknownst to them, Ravage hid in a dried up bush on the hill. He let out a quiet snarl before sprinting away.

 _Meanwhile_

Megatron slashed forward with his sword but Optimus blocked it again.

"Lord Megatron, Ravage has reported that he and Barricade have escaped Autobot base" said Soundwave through Megatron's comlink.

"What was that?" said Optimus.

"It's what I've been waiting for" said Megatron. He pushed Optimus back and walked back a few seconds.

"You piece of scrap metal, Megatron!" huffed Ironhide "I should've known you playing us!" Megatron laughed evilly.

"Because you were too thick-headed to see it, Ironhide" smirked Megatron "So long, Prime!" He transformed and flew all the way to the top of the cavern and out of a hole at the top. As he was flying through the snowy skies, he was met by Soundwave (who's vehicle form was a MQ-1C Gray Eagle). "Soundwave, activate the bomb"

"As you command, Megatron" said Soundwave. It was then that the red light and sinister beeping of the large bomb Megatron had hidden within the cave materialized.

"Now that's not good" said Ironhide.

"Autobots, retreat!" said Optimus. The three of them transformed (Ratchet's vehicle mode was a 2016 Volkswagen Touareg ambulance) and drove away quickly from the explosion which erupted with a force so powerful that the cave's door blew off, sending them flying down towards the ground. They transformed and were in falling in mid-air until eventually grabbing onto a large ledge.

"That was…cutting it close…" breathed Ratchet. Optimus turned around and looked off at the distance.

"We need to get back to base, immediately" said Optimus.

 _One hour later_

Ratchet looked over Teletraan's security recordings.

"Fortunately, from the looks of the recordings, neither Barricade nor Ravage found out our location" said Ratchet.

"That's a relief" said Prowl "It's just upsetting that we couldn't get anything out of him"

"Megatron had us" said Ironhide "We should've finished him off while we had the chance"

"I was fooled as much as the rest of you" said Breakaway "It's partly my fault as well"

"Now that that's out of the way, there's something else to deal with" said Prowl whilst turning to Bumblebee and Arcee "You two have really crossed the line this time"

"Crossed the line, seriously?" said Bumblebee "I've told you before; we were surrounded in a crossfire and were about to call base when—"

"I understand that part" said Prowl "When you saw Melody arrive, you called for help; I'm impressed by that. What I'm not impressed by is that you lost the AllSpark to Starscream. After all the effort we made, you lose the one thing that completely turn the tide of this war to the Decepticons. You've essentially just handed Cybertron over to the Decepticons"

"But it wasn't our fault" said Arcee "Starscream came at us without warning. There was nothing we could have done"

"You say that as if it's something trivial" said Prowl "Do you have any idea of what's just happened?"

"Calm down, Prowl" said Optimus "We cannot place blame on them; they are young, and it was a situation that was difficult to overcome"

"Perhaps; but they have to be held accountable" said Prowl "I'm sorry, you two; but you're grounded"

"Seriously; until when?" said Bumblebee.

"Until I deem otherwise" replied Prowl.

"Excuse me; but who's going to look for me now?" said Melody "I mean; they were assigned to protect me, but how can they do that if they're grounded?"

"Jazz, drive Melody home" said Prowl "But this time, don't bring her back"

"What?" said Melody.

"I'm sorry; but if today proved anything, it's that all of this is too dangerous for a civilian" said Prowl "You could've been killed out there today"

"But I wasn't, because Bee and Arcee were out there with me" said Melody.

"I would rather not run that risk" said Prowl. Jazz walked up to her, transformed, and opened his door. Melody reluctantly stepped in and they drove off.

 _Meanwhile_

"What is the meaning of this?!" snarled Megatron "I'm gone for about only an hour; and within that time, you crashed the ship AND damaged our jammer!"

"We had the Autobots, they just won by a stroke of luck" said Slipstream.

"That's not good enough!" snarled Megatron "If the Autobots discover that our jammer isn't working, they could this time as an advantage. And as for you, Barricade, why didn't you take the base when you had the chance?"

"I would've; but that dumb cat didn't kill the Autobots" huffed Barricade.

"Ravage's job was simply to free you" said Megatron "Be thankful I was generous enough to organize it. At the very least, have you uncovered and retrieved the AllSpark?"

"My lord, I'm afraid that the intervention of the Autobots and subsequent repairs to the ship distracted us" replied Slipstream.

"So, you have all failed me?" said Megatron.

"Not all" said a voice. Starscream stepped out of the shadows, holding the AllSpark triumphantly in his hands. "Pried it out of the hands of an Autobot" Megatron walked over to him and snatched it out of his hands. "A simple thank you would be nice"

"With the ship vulnerable to infiltration, we need to get this off-world as soon as possible" said Megatron "Soundwave, how is the progress of the space bridge going?"

"I have stepped up effort on progress, Lord Megatron" said Soundwave "It should be finished in a matter of hours"

"Focus all of our efforts on it" said Megatron "Victory is literally within my grasp!"

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz drove Melody down through the suburbs. There was a long uncomfortable silence between them.

"Would you like it if I put the radio on?" asked Jazz.

"No thank you" replied Melody.

"Okay" said Jazz "Then…I guess we could just talk" Melody didn't reply. "Okay, I know what's bugging you; you're mad at Prowl, aren't you?"

"Why is he like that?" said Melody "I mean; he's so strict and he seems so ungrateful to everyone"

"Look; I know that Prowl can be a little difficult" said Jazz. Melody simply raised an eyebrow. "Okay; he can very difficult. But you need to understand that he's had it rough; this war hasn't been good to him, and he just wants everything to go well"

"He could be a little more grateful" said Melody. She looked out at the houses next to them. "Stop here; I can make my way back" Jazz stopped and Melody got out.

"I can drive you all the way to your house if you'd like" said Jazz.

"No thanks" said Melody "Besides; I'm not sure what mom would think if I turned up in the driveway with a sports car"

"Good point" said Jazz "Anyways, just remember; Prowl may seem tough and hard to understand, but inside he cares a lot"

"About what?" asked Melody.

"Everyone" replied Jazz "It may be hard to see it at first, but he really does. Well…good night, I guess" He closed his door his door and drove off.

 _Meanwhile on Cybertron_

The once majestic metal planet of Cybertron was now in absolute ruin with barely any sign of life. Within the dark Decepticon capital city of Kaon, there lay a large tower that overlooked almost everything. Within the tower, there was a purple robot with a large cannon for his left arm. But perhaps his most distinguishable feature was that he had no true face but rather a large red optic. A transmission came in on his computer which he answered. It was Megatron.

"Lord Megatron, what is it you wish to speak about?" said the robot, his cold and detached voice having a slight British accent.

"Shockwave, I am in possession of the AllSpark" said Megatron.

"Intriguing" said Shockwave "It would be logical to return back to Cybertron immediately; the chances of the Autobots gaining possession of it would decrease"

"And that is what I plan to do" said Megatron "I have made sure production on the space bridge has increased. Expect my arrival in due time"

"All hail Megatron" said Shockwave.

 _To be continued…_

 **kira444** : Thanks for the advice; I'll do what I can to make the Human characters likeable but not detract from the main storyline.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Thanks; I hope you enjoy the update.

 **PhantomWorks- Stories division** : I hope you enjoy the story; and yeah, whilst I don't hate the films, I agree the movieverse is the worst offender in terms of Transformer—Human screen time balance. I also think it was a bit responsible for the ridiculous "Autobots don't fly" rule that seems to have propped up within recent years. Anyways, looking forward to hearing more


	5. The Story Begins part 5

**Author's note** : Here's the final part of the pilot; I hope you all enjoy

 _The Nemesis_

"All hail Megatron" said Shockwave. Megatron nodded, turned the computer screen off, and turned to Soundwave.

"Soundwave, report on the production of the space bridge" said Megatron.

"We have had to downscale it tremendously to accommodate your time limit; but it should still be operational in a matter of hours, Lord Megatron" said Soundwave "This means that an object the size of the _Nemesis_ cannot enter, but individuals can still enter through it"

"Given the ship's current condition, that is something we don't have to worry about" said Megatron "The end of the war is near; and when it's over, Cybertron will be ours and we will conquer the universe!"

 **The Story Begins part 5**

 _The Ark_

"Optimus, Teletraan I has located the _Nemesis_ " said Ratchet.

"Must've been from what we did to it" said Jazz.

"From the looks of it, it seems to be still crashed" said Ratchet. Optimus walked up to him.

"If Megatron has possession of the AllSpark, his first priority is to get back to Cybertron" said Optimus "No doubt he is placing all of his energies into its completion"

"We have ourselves a window of opportunity, Optimus" said Ratchet "With the jammer down; we could be able to infiltrate the _Nemesis_ "

"And get ourselves the AllSpark back" said Jazz.

"That may be out of the question, Jazz" said Optimus "No doubt Megatron has the AllSpark under high protection"

"Then we'll just have to find and destroy the space bridge before it's finished" said Jazz.

"We'll have to find the space bridge first" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile in the suburbs of Carson City_

Melody sat on behind the pillar of a walking path bridge. She scrolled through her phone and looked at her contacts. She briefly stopped at Bobby before scrolling up to Arcee and selecting it.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee fought off a group of holographic Vehicons with Arcee, who then received a call from Melody.

"Hang on, Bee" said Arcee. She summersaulted out to the side and answered the call. "Who is this?"

"Hey, it's me" said Melody.

"Hey, Melody" said Arcee "Why are you calling?"

"Just felt like talking to someone" said Melody "I mean, Prowl didn't say anything about talking to someone"

 _Meanwhile_

"Yeah; good point" said Arcee.

"So how's things been?" asked Melody.

"Me and Bee have pretty much been training since we got grounded" replied Arcee "It's not so bad; but I do already miss the feeling of being outside and stretching my wheels. How are you holding up?"

"Got back before curfew last night, so Mom wasn't too ticked off" replied Melody "I thought about having just a lazy Saturday to cool off from what happened yesterday; but I missed the fresh air and decided to go for a walk"

"Good to know at least one of us isn't grounded" said Arcee. Melody began thinking about what Jazz told her last night about Prowl.

"You know; last night when Jazz was driving me home, he told me some—" said Melody before hearing an engine sound approaching her.

"Yes, you were saying?" said Arcee. Suddenly, Lugnut flew down towards her and transformed.

"I've been looking for you all day!" said Lugnut "Finally I've found you!" He threw his fist down but Melody rolled aside and ran off, accidently dropping her phone in the process.

"Hello?" said Arcee "Melody? Melody!?" Melody slid down a slope and hid inside a large pipe. She could hear Lugnut stomping around on top looking for her. She saw Lugnut jump down in front of the pipe, unaware of where she was.

"Lugnut?" said Slipstream through Lugnut's comlink "Lugnut, where are you?"

"I'm off on my own mission to benefit Lord Megatron's great works" said Lugnut into his comlink.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter" said Slipstream "Megatron wants you protecting the space bridge; and before you say otherwise, it's from him directly"

"Very well; I shall fly to the Antarctica outpost immediately" said Lugnut. Melody's ears pricked at the sound of what he said. It was then that she noticed a crowbar lying by her feet. Suddenly, Lugnut reached in and started pulling Melody out by the feet, holding her by the feet up at face-height. "There you are; I always knew you were with the Autobots this whole time! You assisted them in the desert! I have you now!"

"Wanna' bet!" said Melody. With a powerful swing, Melody stabbed him in the large optic with the crowbar she had found and had managed to hold onto this whole time.

"AHHHH!" screamed Lugnut whilst accidently dropping Melody "My eye!" Melody grabbed onto him by the hip and held on tight. "I can still see! Where are you?!" Suddenly, Jazz and Bulkhead drove down from the hill and transformed. Jazz leapt forward and grabbed Melody.

"Got ya'!" said Jazz. Bulkhead's hands turned into blasters and he started shooting Lugnut. Without his main optic, he couldn't see properly.

"What's happening?!" exclaimed Lugnut. His hand turned into his power mace and he swung it around aimlessly.

"Lugnut, where are you?!" snarled Slipstream "According to your coordinates, you haven't moved; need I remind you how Lord Megatron would react if he found out you disobeyed a direct order?"

"I'll destroy you next time, Autobots!" snarled Lugnut. He transformed and flew off clumsily.

"You alright?" said Jazz whilst gently placing her on the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine" replied Melody "Just a little thrown around. How exactly did you find me?"

"We were able to track you from your phone" replied Jazz "Good thing you gave Bumblebee and Arcee your phone number" Melody smiled.

"Pity he got away" said Bulkhead.

"I don't think he'd know too much in-depth; he may be one of Megatron's loyalist minions, but Megatron knows all too well that he's not smart enough to handle secrets like that" said Jazz "But now that you mention it, he may have at least known the whereabouts of the space bridge"

"I actually overheard him talking to someone about something important" said Melody "He said something about an outpost in Antarctica" Jazz stroked his chin.

"Could be just a wild turbofox chase, but it's perhaps the only real lead we have" said Jazz "Ratchet, got some information for you"

 _Later_

Ratchet stood at Teletraan I which was looking at Antarctica.

"Now this is curious" said Ratchet. Optimus walked up to him.

"You found something, Ratchet?" asked Optimus.

"Thanks to a lead from Jazz, we may have found where they're keeping the space bridge" said Ratchet "Antarctica"

"It is isolated and far from sight" said Optimus.

"And to add further fuel to the fire, Teletraan was able to detect a strange energy signature in this exact coordinates" said Ratchet. He zoomed in on the energy signature. "Teletraan believes it to be that of the AllSpark. I'm not sure how this is possible though; Megatron would surely keep it cut off from our sensors"

"The technology of the ship was designed to cover the AllSpark's signature, our technology isn't" said Optimus "But this also means something even more crucial; if the space bridge was fully online, then Megatron would've used it already and the AllSpark wouldn't be on Earth"

"That means we have to move quickly" said Ratchet "We don't know when it's going to be fully functional, we have to target it now"

"Sound advice, old friend" said Optimus "Assemble the Autobots; we leave immediately"

 _Meanwhile aboard the Nemesis_

Slipstream walked throughout the halls and into a room.

"Head's up; Megatron wants all available Decepticons who aren't working in the outpost to the _Nemesis_ out" said Slipstream "And that includes you, Scre—" She stopped in her tracks when she saw Starscream holding a hologram in his hands of the Antarctica outpost. What was most shocking was that it had red dots at various areas. "What is going on here?"

"Huh; oh, nothing!" snapped Starscream whilst switching the hologram off. Slipstream snatched the hologram off him and turned it on again.

"Wait a second; these red dots indicate planted bombs" said Slipstream "You planted bombs in the outpost? What are you think…wait a second; this is all for Megatron, isn't it?"

"Well; I just thought that **after** he comes back from reviving Cybertron, what use will we have for him?" said Starscream "Just something I was thinking whilst designing the base; the bombs were just something I adding in after I was complete"

"You're completely crazy" said Slipstream.

"Really?" said Starscream "Megatron has been leading us since the start of this war and we're still no closer to destroying Optimus Prime and his Autobots. Do you really think all of that is going to change by a simple shift in power? It's time for a new leader, a better leader"

"This is all about your lust for power, isn't it?" said Slipstream "That's what it's always been. Well I'll let you know this; if Megatron can't destroy Prime, then what makes you think you could?"

"That's a bridge we'll cross when we get to it" smirked Starscream.

"Out of all the things you've done, this is perhaps the worst" said Slipstream "Megatron will learn of this" Starscream casually walked in front of her.

"Of course; when I'm leader, I'll need a good and willing second-in-command" said Starscream.

"Don't try it, Starscream" said Slipstream.

"And who better than my own sister?" said Starscream.

"You can bribe me all you want, but I know you too well" said Slipstream.

"But I'm serious" said Starscream "Why would you throw away such an opportunity? Think of it; brother and sister on the Decepticon throne, leading our kind to a new golden age. And I **admit** I'm not perfect, so I'll need someone to help me with the **harder** choices" Slipstream raised an eyebrow.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz (with Melody) and Bulkhead drove up to the _Ark_ 's mountain.

"Well; here we go again" said Melody. They entered the mountain and drove into the _Ark_ , where all the other Autobots had gathered. Melody got out and Jazz and Bulkhead transformed. Bumblebee and Arcee walked up to Melody.

"Good to see you again" said Bumblebee.

"Good to see you guys, too" said Melody.

"I must say, Jazz; I'm impressed with the information you found" said Prowl "It's possibly led us straight to the AllSpark itself"

"Actually, it was Melody who found the lead" said Jazz "She's the one you should thank" Prowl looked down at Melody who waved meekly.

"Well played" said Prowl.

"Autobots, we face today perhaps our greatest trial yet" said Optimus "Megatron has possession of the AllSpark, the very thing that gave our race life. No doubt his next move is to return to Cybertron"

"If revives Cybertron, isn't that a good thing?" asked Bulkhead.

"I only wish that were so" replied Optimus "If Megatron uses the AllSpark to revive the planet, he'll recreate it in his own twisted desires. He'll use it to turn the tide of the war in his favor. But it is perhaps even worse than that; it may have started out as a civil war, but it is far beyond that now. Megatron has seen a bigger galaxy, and he wants it all. Once Cybertron is conquered, he'll turn his sights to Earth and I fear that the Human race will be no match for him at such power. He'll continue onwards, conquering world after world until he controls the whole galaxy. But we cannot let him win at all; we have to stop him from getting to Cybertron, even if it means we have to destroy the AllSpark"

"Optimus, the AllSpark may be our last hope for Cybertron" said Prowl.

"I know, Prowl" said Optimus "There was a time when I once thought that our homeworld was all that matters; but when I came to Earth, I realized that there was much more to this war. We cannot allow the Humans or any other lifeform to suffer like how our race has suffered. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings; and even if Cybertron may be lost forever, at least we will protect this world and all worlds from the Decepticons. It has been an honor serving with you all. Ratchet, prepare the ground bridge" Ratchet placed in the coordinates and activated the ground bridge.

"Optimus; if you can save the AllSpark, please do" said Ratchet.

"Understood" said Optimus. Bumblebee and Arcee turned to the ground bridge when Melody ran up to them.

"I just want you guys to know; what happened in the past few days, the whole world you've shown me and everything else…I wouldn't trade it for the world" said Melody. Bumblebee and Arcee smiled.

"We'll be back, I promise" said Arcee. Melody smiled back. Optimus walked to the front of the ground bridge.

"Autobots, transform and roll out!" said Optimus before he and the other Autobots transformed and drove through the ground bridge. They arrived in Antarctica and transformed. "Keep your eyes out for what may be the entrance to a Decepticon base" Prowl stepped forward.

"There's something off in the distance" said Prowl. As the winds cleared, a large cube-shaped mountain appeared in front of them.

"Woah!" said Bumblebee. Optimus got out a holopad and had a look at it.

"The AllSpark's signature is coming from inside that mountain" said Optimus. They walked over to it and noticed that a small panel lay on it. Prowl walked up to it and examined it.

"Looks like it's hand-print activated" said Prowl "And I don't think it would recognize any of us"

"Why don't we take a more direct route?" said Ironhide whilst walking up to it and pointing one of his cannons at it.

"Because it would probably only set off an alarm" said Prowl "Better not to risk that"

"I know; we could use my latest invention" said Wheeljack.

"The fate of the universe is at stake" said Prowl "No offence, but wouldn't exactly risk everything on one of your inventions"

"Don't worry; I've tested this one out plenty of times, it's full-proof" said Wheeljack "Behold…the Slicer!" He shattered shards of frozen metal. "Oh…note to self: make sure all inventions are cold-resistant. And I was so close this time!"

"Our best option at the moment seems to be that we have to find a Decepticon to get ourselves in" said Prowl. Breakaway looked up at the top of the mountain. "Unfortunately, it may require a lot of patience; time I don't think we have" Breakaway transformed and flew to the top of the mountain. "Breakaway, what are you doing?" Breakaway looked around at the top. Suddenly, a Vehicon jet flew towards him. He leapt forward and grabbed onto it. The Vehicon transformed and Breakaway grabbed onto a ledge on the mountain and slammed the Vehicon's face into it, knocking it unconscious. He then slid down to the other Autobots.

"I'd recognize the sound of a jet engine anywhere, even with all the winds" said Breakaway.

"Must have been a patrol" said Prowl. He grabbed the unconscious Vehicon and placed its hand on the panel. A door opened up in front of them. It was then that the Vehicon regained consciousness and pointed his blaster at them, but Ironhide shot him with ease.

"Ratchet, we're about to enter the Decepticon outpost" said Optimus into his comlink "We may not be in contact for some time"

"Understood, Optimus" said Ratchet through his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"Good luck in there" said Ratchet.

"Thank you, old friend" said Optimus. Suddenly, Teletraan I began to go haywire.

"What the?" said Ratchet "Oh; I needed that!"

"What's wrong?" asked Melody.

"Teletraan I seems to be on the blink" replied Ratchet. He pulled the cover off of Teletraan to find that quite a few of the circuits and wires had fallen apart. "Ravage must have messed with the wires; with all the things he did to the _Ark_ , I'm thankful he didn't find out our location"

"Can you fix it?" asked Melody.

"Of course" replied Ratchet "But I'll have to take the whole thing apart; the opening's too small, and the system is too delicate to put my hand in blindly. But if Optimus needs a quick retreat, I may not be able to find him" Melody had a look at the opening.

"You know, perhaps I could fit in there" said Melody.

"What?" said Ratchet.

"If I go in there, perhaps I could put it back together; or at least so that it stays together long enough to find the others" said Melody.

"First of all, it could too far too dangerous" said Ratchet "Second of all, do you have any knowledge on Cybertronian technology?"

"Well, no; but you could guide me" said Melody. Ratchet sighed.

"It may be our greatest choice, but you have to listen to me very carefully; if I tell you that you have to get out of there, get out of there" said Ratchet.

"Got it" said Melody whilst pulling her jacket off. She walked over to her backpack and got out a pair of leather gloves.

"Where did you get those from?" asked Ratchet.

"Found them in my house's garage" replied Melody "I thought about using them whilst riding Arcee; wasn't exactly sure about buying real motorcycle gloves. Now, let's get to work"

 _Meanwhile_

"Lord Megatron, I have detected Autobots in the facility" said Soundwave. Megatron walked over to Soundwave, who was standing by the security camera screen.

"Optimus" said Megatron "I don't know how he found us, but we have to keep him away from the space bridge"

 _Meanwhile_

"Our best chance of success is to destroy the space bridge before it is complete" said Optimus "That way we can ensure that Megatron cannot get back to Cybertron" Up ahead lay two pathways going in different directions.

"Either of these could lead to the space bridge" said Prowl.

"Both of them could as well" said Jazz.

"If we go down the wrong one, we'd just waste time" said Prowl.

"Then we should split up" said Jazz "Cover more ground"

"Perhaps" said Prowl "But if only one of them is the right way, then it means we'll have fewer numbers to fight back whatever Vehicons he has guarding the damn thing"

"One thing's for sure; we can't spend too much time discussing this" said Jazz. Suddenly, a large shielding came down between them; it separated Jazz, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Breakaway on the left side and Optimus, Bulkhead, Ironhide, Prowl, and Wheeljack on the other side. "Oh scrap!"

"Now what are we going to do?" said Ironhide.

"We've been separated, but we still have access to the hallways" said Optimus "We'll go down the one on the side we have. Take care, Autobots" The two sides of the Autobots went off down the hallways.

 _Meanwhile_

"Excellent, Soundwave" said Megatron "Send Lugnut and a squad of Vehicons down both hallways"

"Lord Megatron, I would suggest send all available Vehicons" said Soundwave "It would be more effective"

"We need as many Vehicons available to complete the space bridge and to guard it" said Megatron "We do not need to destroy the Autobots, we only need to delay them long enough. The space bridge must be online as soon as possible. Besides; each hallway has a ravine to cross that will slow them down. Soundwave, I am sending you to guard the jammer; we cannot allow the Autobots to make radio contact for a quick escape"

"As you command, Megatron" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and the others reached a large ravine.

"Now what're we gonna' do?" said Wheeljack. Optimus looked to the other side and saw a control panel.

"There is a control panel on the other side; that must create a way across" said Optimus.

"First we have to get across" said Ironhide.

"I'll handle this" said Optimus.

"Optimus, I know we have a time limit, but this is just too risky" said Prowl "You can't fly; which means if you miss, you'll fall and there's no getting back up from that"

"It is our best option" said Optimus. He transformed and started backing up in the hallway behind them. He accelerated forward and bounded across, just managing to grab hold of the ledge on the other side.

"He did it!" said Wheeljack. At that moment, a group of Vehicons entered on the other side.

"Oh Primus!" said Bulkhead.

"Hold it!" said a Vehicon at the front of the group and was colored white and red and had an orange face "Don't move forward or—" Ironhide blasted him with his cannon.

"Or what?" said Ironhide. The rest of the Vehicons began firing back and the Autobots returned fire.

"We can't get a proper aim at this distance" said Prowl. Optimus leapt up and kicked one of the Vehicons off the edge, and it screamed a Wilhelm scream as it fell. He then activated the panel and a bridge made out of shielding was created, enabling the other Autobots to run across and finish off the rest of the Vehicons.

"That wasn't so tough" said Ironhide.

"Don't count your robo-chickens before they hatch" said Wheeljack. They continued down the hallway in front of them.

"Keep an eye out; there could be more on their way" said Optimus.

"I don't get it; why aren't there any guards?" said Wheeljack

"If Megatron knows we're here, he'll have the space bridge protected at all costs" said Prowl "He'll have most of the Vehicons either guarding it or working on it" It was then that they reached a small room on the side of the hallway. Optimus peered in and saw a large jamming device.

"We may need to take a quick escape when we're done" said Optimus.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Ironhide. He stepped into the room with his cannons raised towards the jammer.

"Ironhide, wait—" said Prowl. Suddenly, Soundwave leapt down in front of him. "Soundwave!" Soundwave extended his tentacles out and they let out powerful sonic bursts which drove the Autobots back.

"Soundwave: Superior" said Soundwave "Autobots: Inferior" Optimus retracted his battle mask out and leapt towards him, but he jumped up onto the jammer in less than a minute.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Breakaway continued down their hallway and reached another large ravine. Jazz noticed the controls which were on their side.

"Those controls must be what gets us across" said Jazz. He activated the panel and created a bridge. "There we go" As they stepped onto the bridge, they heard loud thundering footsteps approaching them from the front. Lugnut appeared on the other side of the ravine with his main optic fully repaired.

"Autobots!" snarled Lugnut.

"We've got no time for this, Lugnut" said Jazz "Stand aside"

"I am no fool" said Lugnut "I will not allow you Autobots to ruin everything Lord Megatron has accomplished" His hand turned into his mace. "Prepare to die!" The Autobots turned their hands into their blasters. Lugnut leapt up into the air and landed in front of them with a loud bellowing stomp which shook the whole cavern. He slammed his mace down on the ground, causing it to crack severely and the whole cavern shook even harder.

"Everyone get to the other side, now!" said Jazz. The four of them ran to the other side just before the bridge disappeared as the side they were on crumbled away. Lugnut transformed, flew at them, and transformed again. "Into the hallway, before he does it again!" They ran into the hallway with Lugnut charging after them. He swung through them like a speeding juggernaut and knocked all of them off their feet.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus fought Soundwave with his wrist blades, but Soundwave counteracted all of his attacks and swung out of harm's way whenever it was too powerful to do so. Bulkhead charged up to him with his maces but the sleek Decepticon only ducked the shot and swung underneath him and kicking him from behind. Ironhide and Wheeljack began shooting at him, but he avoided the shots and sliced forward, taking both of them out. Optimus swung forward at him again, but Soundwave extended his tentacles out pinned Optimus to the ground with them. Realizing that he was preoccupied, Prowl aimed his blaster at Soundwave and shot him in the back. Soundwave coldly turned his head towards Prowl and shot one of his tentacles at him. However, Prowl was standing in front of the jammer and stepped aside at the last minute, causing Soundwave's tentacle to instead rocket straight into the device causing a large wave of electricity to jolt through him. This severely weakened him and he collapsed onto the ground beside Optimus. Ironhide walked up to him and grabbed him the legs.

"One last swing for the road!" said Ironhide before swinging Soundwave into the jamming device, damaging it even more. Optimus got himself up.

"The jammer is destroyed" said Optimus whilst retracting his battle mask "Now we can contact Ratchet. Ratchet, do you hear me?" There was no reply.

"Ratchet?" said Prowl into his comlink with no reply "That's strange; no response of any kind"

"Whatever the problem is, it can wait" said Optimus "Right now we must continue forward"

 _Meanwhile_

"So what do I do next?" asked Melody.

"Attach that wire to the shorter wire next to it" said Ratchet whilst pointing out which wires to attach. Melody attached the two wires together. "Good job. And guess what; you're nearly done" It was then that the proximity sensor went off. "Oh…by Primus; why now?"

"Hey Prime…" said Agent Bluestone as he entered "Wait; where's Prime?"

"I'm afraid that he's off on a mission with the others" replied Ratchet. He noticed that Bluestone had his arm in a sling and a band aid on his forehead. "I heard about what happened with Ravage yesterday. I hope you're alright"

"Nothing the doctor can't fix" said Bluestone "Speaking of which however, I came by to discuss with Prime something I found out yesterday. Tell me; what gives you Bots the right to let civilians know of your existence?"

"Breakaway did tell me of the circumstances of what happened yesterday" said Ratchet "But believe me when I say this; when Optimus says that it's going to be fine, you'd better believe him"

"Maybe you're right; but how many people do you think she's told already?" said Bluestone "How are we supposed to know we can trust her?"

"You know, I'm right here" said Melody. Bluestone turned his head to the opening and sighed.

"Don't tell me" said Bluestone.

"Don't worry, she's under my supervision" said Ratchet "We've got this handled" Bluestone sighed again.

 _Meanwhile_

Lugnut lifted Breakaway up and threw him across the hallway. Jazz leapt up towards the colossal Decepticon but got slammed into the wall with his power mace. Arcee ran up to him shooting but he shot a rocket at her, flying her back into a wall.

"We'll never get anywhere at this rate" said Jazz "He'll just keep coming after us until we're finished"

"If we can't beat him in strength, we'll have to beat him in speed" said Bumblebee. He transformed and sped off towards Lugnut.

"Bumblebee, wait!" exclaimed Jazz. Bumblebee drove between Lugnut's legs and just missed his fists. He then transformed and leapt up onto Lugnut's back and began shooting him in the face.

"ARRRR!" snarled Lugnut. He slammed himself back-and-forth against the wall numerous times in an attempt to shake him off, but Bumblebee kept a firm grip. Eventually, Lugnut slammed his back against the wall, reached up, grabbed Bumblebee, and threw him to the ground. He then pinned him to the ground with his foot.

"Bee!" exclaimed Arcee. She transformed and accelerated up to Lugnut.

"Arcee, what are you doing?" said Jazz.

"Time to die, Autobrat!" snarled Lugnut. Suddenly, Arcee leapt up onto his face and skimmed it with her wheels, sending him back down the hallway. She then turned to Bumblebee and helped him up. "Filthy little Autobots!" He retracted out a rocket launcher and prepared to fire. Arcee quickly shot at it with her blaster, causing it to explode. This caused the roof of the cave to collapse down on top of him, but it also caused the rest of the hallway to cave in.

"Oh no!" said Arcee.

"Let's get back" said Jazz. All four of them transformed and sped off down the collapsing hallway.

"Are we even going to make it?" said Breakaway.

"Up ahead; I think that's the end of the hallway" said Bumblebee. A secure room lay at the end of the hallway. They reached it only just before the entire hallway behind them collapsed down and transformed.

"Now that was just too close" said Jazz "But it looks like up ahead should be clearer"

 _A few minutes later_

The four of them reached the control room.

"Looks like we've found something" said Jazz. Breakaway walked over to the railing which seemed to overlook something.

"We definitely have" said Breakaway. Jazz, Bumblebee, and Arcee walked over to him.

"Oh scrap!" said Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously. What lay ahead of them was a large room; and at its center laid a large cone-shaped generator with countless Vehicons were doing work on it.

"At least we found the space bridge" said Jazz.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Bumblebee whilst his hand turned into his blaster "The fate of the world's at state"

"Not yet" said Jazz "Those Vehicons should provide some trouble; plus, they have us outnumbered. Unless Optimus and the others catch up to us, we'll have to find another way to destroy"

"Really?" said a voice. Suddenly, a large shield came down around them and trapped them. Megatron walked up to them with a triumphant smile.

"Megatron!" said Jazz.

"I was expecting Optimus" said Megatron "You would provide no sport at all" Jazz looked carefully and noticed that he had the AllSpark strapped to his back.

"You won't get away with this!" said Jazz.

"Really?" said Megatron "It may be cliché, but I already have. You should cheer up; after all, you will have a front row seat to Cybertron's next golden age. And I shall be its father"

"Under your rule, it won't be a golden age" said a voice. Optimus and the others had just entered the room, with his battle mask and ion blasters readied.

"You never disappoint; do you, Optimus?" smirked Megatron. Optimus turned his blasters towards Megatron.

"End this now, Megatron!" said Optimus.

"We both now I can't do that" said Megatron. He retracted a blade out of his right arm and charged towards Optimus. He shot back but got swept off of his feet. Optimus got himself up and charged towards Megatron, sending both of them off of the railing.

"We gotta' help, Prime" said Ironhide.

"That's Optimus's battle" said Prowl "Our main priority is the space bridge. C'mon" He, Ironhide, and Bulkhead exited the control room. Wheeljack however stayed and walked up to the controls.

"What're you doing?" said Jazz.

"I'm gonna' get you guys out" said Wheeljack "Hold on; I think I have it" He took a look at the controls. "Ah…now that I think about it, seems a bit more complex than I thought" Megatron got himself up.

"Decepticons, defend the space bridge!" announced Megatron. The Vehicons turned their blasters towards the Autobots and started shooting.

"That's a whole lot of Decepticons" said Bulkhead "How do we beat all of 'em?"

"We just need to get close enough to cause damage to the space bridge" said Prowl "Autobots, let's charge out" The three of them charged out shooting at the Vehicons. At that moment, Megatron stomped in front of them.

"Face me, Autobots!" said Megatron. Prowl transformed and accelerated towards the space bridge controls, but Megatron stomped on him, grabbed him by the front, and threw him back. Prowl transformed and skidded to a stop.

"On second thoughts, we'll take him all at once" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

"Got it" said Melody.

"Very good" said Ratchet "Now come out" Melody crawled out of the opening. "Let's see if this works" He started up Teletraan, but the screen didn't light up. Ratchet sighed.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Melody.

"No" said Ratchet "I'm not sure what's wrong with it. I remember it not working after we crashed here. We didn't have it on for days; in the end, I had to couple it together with whatever resources we could find on this planet. Perhaps it's finally—"

" _Online"_

Ratchet gasped as the screen lit up.

"By the AllSpark, it works!" exclaimed Ratchet "Well done; I couldn't have done it without you" Melody beamed. "Now this is interesting; Optimus and the others' life signals are displayed; they must have got rid of the jammer"

 _Meanwhile_

"The others are overwhelmed out there" said Jazz "Wheeljack, you gotta' get us outta' here now!" Wheeljack's spark pumped really fast and he breathed hastily. He turned around and just started shooting the top of the shield randomly.

"Hey; we're out" said Breakaway.

"Really?" said Wheeljack "Huh; when in doubt, shoot randomly at the generators. That's the first thing I'm gonna' do next time"

"Good" said Jazz "Now come on; they need our help" Ironhide shoot at Megatron furiously, but Megatron struck him away with ease. Bulkhead charged up behind him with his maces and slammed him into his back; this however only made Megatron furious and he shot him in the shoulder with his fusion cannon.

"Pathetic!" said Megatron "These are the best the Autobots have to offer!"

"Lord Megatron, the space bridge is ready" said a Vehicon "We have targeted Cybertron"

"Finally!" said Megatron "Activate it!" The portal appeared just above the generator; at first glance, it seemed just like the ground bridge but it was much bigger.

"Lord Megatron, I see the portal" said Shockwave through Megatron's comlink "It is just at the foot my tower. I am coming down now to wait for you"

"I'll be there shortly, Shockwave" said Megatron into his comlink. He ran towards the space bridge.

"Optimus, do you read me?" said Ratchet through Optimus's comlink "Optimus?"

"Optimus, get up!" said Bumblebee whilst lifting the unconscious body of his leader up.

"Thanks, Bumblebee" said Optimus whilst regaining consciousness. He noticed the space bridge portal. "Ratchet, I read you. But we have to discuss this later; I have something more important at the moment. Autobots, take care of the space bridge; I'll handle Megatron" He transformed and rammed into Megatron before transforming back. Megatron got himself up and chuckled.

"All these years and I never knew you had that in you" said Megatron "Why don't you just give up and let me win for a change?"

"You know me all too well, Megatron" said Optimus "I'll never let you win!" He retracted out his blades.

"I suppose we could have one last dance, Prime" said Megatron "It'll have to be a quick one though"

"Today; one shall stand, one shall fall!" said Optimus. Megatron retracted out his blade and the two charged at each other.

"Wheeljack…you know a thing or two about space bridges…do you know how to shut them off?" said Bumblebee whilst fending off against a group of Vehicons "Any important places that could take damage?"

"Well…almost everything on a space bridge is important" replied Wheeljack "But if you really wanna' cause trouble; aim for the consoles, any console; if any of those are damaged, it could completely screw it up one way or another" Bumblebee looked across the room and saw a console standing up on a small platform.

"Found one!" said Bumblebee. He rushed up towards the platform.

"Hey; wait for me!" smirked Arcee. Optimus and Megatron clashed violently. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a small camera lay hidden in the room which observed their every action.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream watched Optimus and Megatron fighting on a holographic screen. He chuckled evilly at the sight of it.

"Well, well, well; looks like the spider has caught himself some flies indeed!" smirked Starscream "Not only will I have vanquished Megatron, but the Autobot leader as well; that should certainly secure my position as leader"

"I still think this is crazy" said Slipstream.

"Yet you're going along with it anyway?" said Starscream.

"Only to see which way it turns" said Slipstream "If you do destroy them, I'll willingly follow you. If not, I'll make sure Megatron knows about everything"

"We'll see soon enough" said Starscream.

 _Meanwhile_

"You're certainly eager" said Megatron "Where was this enthusiasm back on Cybertron?" Optimus ignored his comment and continued fighting. Jazz drove his way through several Vehicons before transforming mid-drive and shooting down several of them and landing on top of one; from there he could get a good look at what was happening. Optimus leapt up and kicked Megatron in the face before shooting him several times in the chest. He then retracted out his blades and charged towards him. Megatron however caught both his arms with his hand upon interception and grinned evilly. It was at that moment that Optimus felt a tremendous searing pain in his stomach. He looked down to see that Megatron had stabbed him with his blade. He slowly pulled the blade out and retracted it back.

"Prime!" exclaimed Jazz. He sprinted over to help Optimus but was blocked off by the Vehicons in the process. Optimus collapsed onto the ground, dripping energon.

"Such an anticlimactic end to the leader of the Autobots!" smirked Megatron. He started to continuously stomp on Optimus with a sadistic grin across his face. Bumblebee meanwhile was blasting and fighting his way past various Vehicons towards the platform. Arcee leapt up onto his shoulder and leapt off again, kicking a Vehicon across the face and started shooting the other Vehicons.

"Is that all of them?" said Arcee.

"Your mine now, Autobot!" snapped a Vehicon who stood up on the platform. It started shooting at them wildly. The two of them aimed their blasters and shot the Vehicon, sending him into the console that Bumblebee was going for. This caused the console to be badly damaged. The portal however was still up.

"Woah!" said Wheeljack.

"Nothing happened" said Bumblebee. Wheeljack sprinted up to have a look at the console.

"You just took out the destination controls" said Wheeljack "The portal's still up, but it's no longer locked on Cybertron. It's just warping around space randomly"

"Warping around space randomly!" said Jazz. Megatron picked Optimus up by the throat and lifted him up.

"Give up!" said Megatron "I have already won. Had you simply accepted that before, I may have let you and your Autobots go, but not anymore! Once I return to Cybertron and amass my new army, I'll make every last one of your Autobots pay for your mistakes! And as for your precious Humans; I'll make them suffer endlessly and I'll make you watch!" He threw Optimus against the wall. "Goodbye, Prime" He turned to the portal.

"Lord Megatron, the space bridge has disappeared" said Shockwave through Megatron's comlink.

"Impossible; the portal is still open at my end" said Megatron into his comlink.

"Whatever happened; do not enter the portal" said Shockwave "If it is open at your end, it means it could send you to a somewhere else across the universe" Optimus slowly got himself up.

"I will…never let you get away!" said Optimus "You were the one who told me that freedom was everyone's right; yet here you stand, a tyrant who only sees his own hunger for power" He retracted his left blade our and his right ion blaster. "Let's finish this!"

"The usual destiny and honor speech" said Megatron "If you really wanted to die, you only had to ask!" He charged up his fusion cannon and charged towards Optimus. Suddenly, there was a flash of white and blue and Jazz transformed and pushed the fusion cannon out of Optimus's way. He then acrobatically spun up to Megatron's back, ripped off the AllSpark, and threw it into the portal. "No!" He grabbed Jazz, stabbed him with his blade, and threw him against the wall. "Pathetic scrap-pile!" Suddenly, Optimus grabbed Megatron's arm with both his hands and pulled him back.

"You won't ever hurt anyone ever again!" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

"Well; there goes the AllSpark" said Starscream. He pressed an activation button.

 _Meanwhile_

The bombs which lay hidden within the walls were set off, causing the entire room to start collapsing.

"Now this doesn't look good" said Bulkhead.

"What is the meaning of this, Prime!" snapped Megatron.

"I had nothing to do with it" said Optimus.

"Starscream!" snarled Megatron. Suddenly, large chunks of debris fell from the roof down towards him.

"Megatron!" exclaimed Optimus. The debris collapsed in from of him, separating the two of them.

"Optimus, we have to get out of here" said Prowl whilst helping Jazz up.

"Ratchet, bring a ground bridge to our coordinates" said Optimus into his comlink.

"I'm on it" said Ratchet through his comlink. A ground bridge appeared in front of them.

"Autobots, into the ground bridge, now!" said Optimus.

"Just let me get Jazz up" said Prowl.

"It's fine" said Jazz "I can move by myself"

"Don't take unnecessary risks" said Prowl "We have to get you out of here in one piece"

"Go on ahead" said Jazz "I'll make it" Prowl had a concerned look.

"I'll keep a safe distance" said Prowl "If you need help, I'll come" He ran on ahead towards the ground bride. Jazz got himself up and sprinted towards the ground bridge portal, holding his side and limping somewhat. Even as he sprinted, the entire room was collapsing down at such an alarming rate that it seemed like he wouldn't be able to make it in time.

 _Meanwhile_

"Commander, you may want to see this" said a Vehicon at the controls. Starscream walked over to him.

"What is it?" asked Starscream.

"The Antarctica outpost has been destroyed, and it appears to have been from within" said the Vehicon "No word yet from Megatron" Starscream held back a smirk. At that moment, a ground bridge appeared next to them with Soundwave stepping out. "Commander Soundwave, any word from Megatron?"

"I was too far apart from Megatron when the base started collapsing" said Soundwave "I was unable to find out his status"

"Now, now; the loss of Megatron is truly a tragedy" said Starscream "He was our leader and was about to bring forth a new golden age; it is a true shame that the Autobots ended all of that. But let's not dwell on it so much. Let us step forward and commemorate his memory. All…hail…Starscream!"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus was the first into the _Ark_. He was followed shortly by Bulkhead, Ironhide, and Breakaway. Then came Bumblebee, Arcee, and Wheeljack and they were followed by Prowl. Ratchet walked over to Optimus.

"You seem to be badly hurt" said Ratchet "You should go to the med-bay as soon as possible"

"I will" said Optimus.

"What a second; where's Jazz?" said Ratchet.

"He was…he was right behind me" said Prowl "I can't believe it; he told me he was fine on his own and let go by himself. I should not have listened to him; I should've help him through!"

"Ratchet, check for Jazz's coordinates" said Optimus. Ratchet checked Teletraan.

"His life signal is not showing up" said Ratchet. A cold feeling of dread swept across the room. "I'm sorry; he's gone, Optimus" He walked over to the controls to shut the ground bridge off.

"Wait!" exclaimed a voice. Jazz limped through the ground bridge. "Don't…not without…me!" He collapsed next to Teletraan I.

"Jazz, you're alive!" said Bumblebee.

"Yeah…" said Jazz.

"Don't ever try something like that again" said Prowl.

"Glad that you missed me" smirked Jazz.

"Still; how couldn't Teletraan detect you?" asked Prowl.

"Of course!" said Ratchet "If he was going through the ground bridge at the time, he wouldn't be displayed"

"Permission…to rest in the med-bay…sir…" breathed Jazz.

"Permission granted" said Optimus.

"What happened to the AllSpark?" asked Ratchet.

"Somewhere else in the universe by now…far from us…or Cybertron..." breathed Jazz.

"And what of Megatron?" asked Ratchet.

"Not even he could survive that" said Optimus.

"Then that's good news then" said Bluestone "With Megatron, we're all safe now"

"Not quite" said Optimus "Megatron may be gone, but the rest of the Decepticons remain; and they won't give up just because their leader is gone. The war's not over yet"

"Then it seems we've got our work cut out for us" said Bluestone. He walked back into the elevator. "Good luck, Prime" The elevator went up.

"So what does this mean for me?" asked Melody. Prowl walked over to her.

"You can stay, for the time being" said Prowl. Melody smiled. Prowl then turned to Bumblebee and Arcee. "As for you two; consider yourselves back on the field for all available missions, and keep her out of trouble"

"Will do" said Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously.

"Don't let me down" said Prowl.

" _The AllSpark is once again lost to us; and without a space bridge or working ship, we may not see our home again in a long time. But whilst Cybertron may be gone, we still have Earth to call home. We live in secret here, watching over and protecting them from the Decepticons and making sure no world suffers the fate of ours. The people here are a young species and the majority of them may not be ready to know of our presence just yet; but from the ones that have met us, I can this—like us there is more to them than meets the eye. I am Optimus Prime, and I send this message to any surviving Autobots out there; we are here, we are fighting"_

 **Author's note #1** : Well; that's the pilot over and done with, now onto the main series.

 **Author's note #2** : The Vehicon with a white and red paint job was Cy-Kill.


	6. A Web of Power

**Author's note** : So here's the first episode of the main series.

 _Nevada_

Thundercracker and Skywarp flew through the skies.

"We're coming up to the energy reading" said Thundercracker "Let's go down" They descended down towards a cave and transformed.

"Another cave?" said Skywarp.

"The energy reading's coming from in there, let's investigate" said Thundercracker "And stick behind me" Skywarp sighed and followed Thundercracker in.

"What if it's a dud?" said Skywarp.

"That's why we're investigating it" said Thundercracker "And unless you want Starscream to growl at us, you'll help me find out what it is before the Autobots do" Skywarp sighed.

"This sort of things for Vehicons, not us!" snapped Skywarp. Thundercracker looked down at his holopad.

"From the looks of it, it's just up ahead a little further" said Thundercracker.

"Right on it!" said Skywarp whilst walking forward "Anything to get me out of this scouting mission!" He disappeared into the darkness up ahead.

"Skywarp, come back!" said Thundercracker "We don't know what's up ahead, we could be walking into a—"

"Ah!" said Skywarp.

"Trap!" said Thundercracker. He walked forward further until he found Skywarp caught in a large spider web.

"Get me out!" said Skywarp "Get me out!"

"And risk getting stuck myself?" said Thundercracker "This is why I told you to slow down" It was then that he heard the evil chuckle of a female voice. He turned around and turned his hand into his blaster. "Who goes there?" The voice just chuckled again. "Answer!" Suddenly, a large piece of silk shot out and trapped him to the web. This was followed by another evil chuckle. "What are you!?" A slender female figure with purple glowing optics walked up towards him and chuckled even more.

 **A Web of Power**

 _The Ark_

"I'll pay for that" said Arcee whilst collecting the card for the estate she had landed on. She, along with Bumblebee and Melody, were playing a game of monopoly.

"My turn then" said Bumblebee. He rolled the dice and moved up eight spaces, landing on a go-to-jail space. "Damn!" He moved his piece to the jail space. "These Earth games can be frustrating"

"Don't worry; there people on this planet who've played games like this countless and still get frustrated by it" smirked Melody. At that moment, Wheeljack peered out from a doorway, looked both ways suspiciously, snuck across the room, grabbed spare part by Teletraan I, and snuck back. "What's Wheeljack up to?"

"He's always up to something" said Bumblebee "He stays in his lab 24/7, creating invention after invention?"

"Are they any good?" asked Melody.

"Most of them don't work and it sends him back to the drawing board" said Arcee "But he won't stop; he just loves creating things so much, he doesn't care how it turns out…mostly"

"What do you mean by mostly?" asked Melody.

"Well; if he's got his heart set on something, he'll be upset if it doesn't work out the way he hoped" said Arcee.

"But he'll always bounce back" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile in Optimus's quarters_

Optimus arranged the things he had on his shelf.

"I thought I'd find you here" said Ratchet as he entered "Mourning Megatron, I see?"

"In a way" said Optimus "I've known for a long time that he was far gone. Yet; now that he has perished, I wish I had saved him somehow"

"You tried way more than most" said Ratchet "Remember, I was there all those years ago as well. All you wanted for him was to be happy, and he wouldn't accept that"

"I can't help but feel that there was another influence" said Optimus "Something beyond either I or the council. Something that convinced him to do what he did"

"Don't blame yourself, Optimus" said Ratchet "Remember that the past is the past. We can't change it; we'll just have to live with it"

 _Meanwhile at the Nemesis_

Starscream and Slipstream flew towards the _Nemesis_.

"We have had no contact from Thundercracker and Skywarp since I sent them off" said Starscream "We'll have to send more troops to find them"

"That's not a good idea, Starscream" said Slipstream. The two of them descended towards the _Nemesis_ and transformed.

"And why not?" said Starscream.

"We have no idea of what happened to them yet" said Slipstream "For all we know, we could be sending troops to their doom"

"That doesn't matter!" snapped Starscream "If the reading is indeed something crucial, we cannot let the Autobots have the edge!"

"I would take more heed from your second-in-command, Starscream" said a voice "You could find yourself in a place in which you cannot get out" A large charcoal Decepticon walked up to them with a proud smile across his face.

"Blackout, what are you doing here?" exclaimed Starscream.

"I have been tracking Lord Megatron across the universe for a long time now" said Blackout "Quite ironic that when I do get a proper fix on his position, he is long gone"

"Lord Megatron was slain by the Autobots" said Starscream "I am in command now"

"As I have heard" said Blackout "Still; it's amazing how the Autobots were able to plant so many bombs within that time"

"Don't ask me how they did it!" snapped Starscream. He strutted past Blackout.

"This is no way to treat your guest, Starscream" said Blackout "Do you have no manners?" Starscream just ignored him with Slipstream following him behind. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Blackout put on a smirk.

 _Meanwhile_

"Optimus, Teletraan I has picked up a strange energy reading" said Ratchet.

"What is it exactly?" asked Optimus.

"I'm not sure" said Ratchet "It's unlike anything I've ever seen before"

"Do you have a fix on its coordinates?" asked Optimus.

"Of course" said Ratchet "It's still within the vicinity of Nevada"

"No doubt the Cons have found it too" said Ironhide "Expect company"

"I'll investigate it myself" said Optimus "Bumblebee, with me"

"Suh-weet!" said Bumblebee whilst standing up "I mean; thank you, Optimus. I very much appreciate it"

"Good luck, Bee" said Arcee.

"Don't worry; I'll try to get back in time for my turn" said Bumblebee. Ratchet opened the ground bridge.

"We'll radio you if we need a ground bridge" said Optimus.

"Understood" said Ratchet. Optimus and Bumblebee entered the portal, coming out at the location of the cave.

"So that's where the reading's coming from?" said Bumblebee.

"It appears so" said Optimus whilst looking at his holopad.

"So we go in?" said Bumblebee.

"It certainly seems that way" said Optimus "We have to be on the lookout; if the Decepticons have detected the energy reading as well, we could be in for a fight" They entered the cave. "It should be just up ahead"

"Who's there?" said a voice. Optimus turned back to Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, hide" said Optimus quietly.

"But Optimus—" said Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee; whatever it is, it knows I'm here but not you" said Optimus quietly "If it turns out to hostile, we may have an advantage if it doesn't know you're here" Bumblebee nodded and hid behind a corner. Optimus walked forward until eventually coming up on the web, in which Thundercracker and Skywarp were still trapped.

"Skywarp?" said Optimus "Thundercracker? What are you doing here?"

"We were tracking an energy reading that Starscream gave us" said Thundercracker "But we got caught in this web"

"What is the cause of this web?" said Optimus. Unbeknownst to him, the female figure slipped down behind him.

"Her" said Thundercracker.

"Her?" said Optimus. The female figure chuckled evilly. Optimus turned around, retracted out his battle mask, and turned his hand into his ion blaster.

"Identify yourself" said Optimus. The female figure extended her hand out and shot silk at him, trapping him to the web. The female figure walked forward, revealing herself to be a slender black female Cybertronian with purple optics. She had a spider feel to her, especially with the four pairs of legs attached to her back. "Who are you?"

"My name is Airachnid" said the robot with a sultry and sensual voice. She walked up to Optimus. "And you must be Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots" She extended her hand forward and caressed his cheek. "I must say; I was expecting prey of either kind to come, but I wasn't expecting the Autobot leader himself"

"What do you want?" said Optimus.

"I'm a predator, a collector…I crave prey" said Airachnid "What; you really weren't suspicious that a mysterious energy reading just so happened to appear out of nowhere? Of course you were; that's why you came to investigate. To think; the Autobot leader…" She slowly stroked her fingers across her face. "…you'll be my prize. I'll hang your head on my wall for all to see…" She pulled her hand away. "But not just yet; no doubt there'll be other Autobots worthy to place in my collection" She began to caress his neck. "Congratulations; you've been promoted to bait"

"Then why do we have to be here?" said Thundercracker. Airachnid let out a chuckle.

"You two amuse me" said Airachnid "But don't worry; once I get bored, I'll gut you both" Bumblebee peered out from the corner and hid back.

"Now this is not good" said Bumblebee quietly to himself.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee and Melody walked past Wheeljack's workshop, to which their attentions were drawn by the sounds coming from it. They turned back to take a look, finding Wheeljack working on something. They entered.

"Hey Wheeljack, what's that?" said Arcee.

"What!" exclaimed Wheeljack whilst his spanner slipped through his hands. He desperately tried to grab hold of it. "Ah ah ah!" He finally got a firm grip on it. "Few! That was a close one" Melody looked over at the thing he had built, which resembled a vacuum cleaner mixed with a photocopier.

"What is that?" asked Melody.

"Ah; glad you noticed" said Wheeljack "It all began when I was in my workshop thinking of what to invent next. Nothing came to the top of my head, so I decided to just walk around the ship until I thought. Eventually I found that I had walked right into the energon storage chamber; and that's when it came to me. One of our biggest problems is our energon supply; I mean, the energon deposits on Earth are so hard to find; and on the odd occasion we do find one, eight out of 10 times the Cons have found it first. So I got to thinking, what if there was some way to make more energon from what we have? And now, I present to you…the "Duplicator"!" There was an awkward silence. "Okay, I admit that the name is a working progress, as is the thing itself; but admit it, the premise is genius"

"So what's the problem?" asked Arcee.

"The problem is that it explodes liquids instead of creating more of it" said Wheeljack "I mean, look at this!" He picked up a vial of liquid, placed it on the table, pointed the nozzle at the vial, and emitted a beam of light which caused the vial to explode. "And that's why I don't test it on real energon, can't afford to lose that"

"And how long have you've been working on it?" asked Melody.

"Well…to be honest, a few years" said Wheeljack "It's just something that I keep coming back to. But I'm gonna' get it through this time, I just know it"

 _Meanwhile_

"Okay, okay; I just need to call base for backup" said Bumblebee quietly to himself "But make sure to inform them of everything about the situation. The last thing we need is to fall to her trap" He took a deep breath in. "Here it goes. Ratchet, I've got something to—" There was only haywire. "Damn; must be a jammer somewhere" He sighed. "Well; better get outside then" It was then that he heard the sound of wings approaching him from behind. He turned around to find what appeared to a giant green and black mechanical wasp flying towards him at great speeds. Suddenly, it transformed into a large insectoid robot with large purple eyes.

"Bumblebot no escape Waspinator!" snarled the robot.

"Uh oh!" said Bumblebee. Waspinator's hands turned into stingers and he began shooting.

 _Meanwhile_

Airachnid heard the sound of shooting and snarled.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee ran down the cave whilst avoiding the shots before hiding behind a large rock.

"Okay; just got to get away from this big bug before the spider gets here" said Bumblebee quietly to himself "Just need to stay calm and find a better hiding space" It was then that a large glob of drool dripped down onto his shoulder. He looked up to find Waspinator looking down on him, his large metal tongue licking his yellow lips. "Scrap!" Before he could escape, Waspinator grabbed him by the neck, held him up, before slashing him across the chest with his claws.

"Waspinator got Bumblebot now!" snarled Waspinator.

"And Waspinator certainly loves to talk about himself in the third person" said Bumblebee. He threw Bumblebee across the cave. As he regained consciousness, he could see that Waspinator had now transformed and was flying towards him aggressively. In a moment of panic, he turned his hands into his blaster and shot at the roof in front of him, causing it to collapse and crush Waspinator under it. "Waspinator no like to get crushed!"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream and Slipstream entered the bridge of the _Nemesis_. To their surprise, the Vehicons (along with Barricade) had all gathered together and were chatting.

"What is the meaning of this?" snapped Starscream "Get back to work"

"Oh, but we are at work" said a voice. Starscream turned to the side to find Blackout standing there with a big smirk.

"Are you responsible for this, Blackout?" snapped Starscream "No one has the right to order Vehicons without my authorization first"

"I just felt like inspecting on how you were running this ship, Starscream" said Blackout "Whilst looking around, I also felt like talking to your Vehicons to inspect the chain of command"

"And what is it to you?" said Starscream.

"With all due respect, Lord Starscream; we haven't gotten much far since the loss of Lord Megatron" said a Vehicon.

"It's only been three days!" snapped Starscream.

"Precisely" said Blackout "You Vehicons lack faith in you, and it has only been that long. Not a good sign, I must admit. Looking around further, I also discovered from your troops that you have been simply scouting for energon with no greater goal in mind"

"That is our top priority at the moment" said Starscream "The more energon we have, the greater the edge is. Besides, we're still trying to get the ship out"

"But Lord Megatron always had something else planned" said Barricade "If we actually want to defeat the Autobots, we should formulate something"

"It is clear to me, Starscream, that you are not an effective leader" said Blackout "Megatron may have been ultimately unsuccessful, but at least he had the support of his faction. You, however, will ultimately drive the Decepticons apart" Starscream bared his teeth.

"You did all of this, didn't you!" snapped Starscream.

"I merely inspected your staff and found them to be unhappy" said Blackout "I think new leadership is in order"

"And you think you're the one for the job?" snapped Starscream.

"Do you see anyone else?" smirked Blackout "Face it; you've lost, Starscream. You may as well step down with dignity" Starscream snarled. At that moment, Slipstream stepped between the two of them.

"The position of Decepticon leader is not for the troops to decide, but rather for Primus to decide" said Slipstream "Blackout, in the name of Decepticons, I challenge you to a battle for leadership. If I win, you will allow the current leadership to stay in power. If you win, my brother and I will step down and let you lead" Blackout's smirked lengthened.

"Deal!" said Blackout. He turned to leave the bridge. "See you on the battlefield, skinny!"

 _Meanwhile_

"Waspinator, get up!" snapped Airachnid. Waspiantor, whom she had pulled out from the rocks, began to regain consciousness. "What happened here?"

"Mmmm; Waspinator found Bumblebot and tried to eliminate him, but Bumblebot got the better of Waspinator" said Waspinator "Ohhh; Waspinator hurt his head!"

"Never mind that!" snapped Airachnid "Get back to the ship. It would seem that Prime has brought another Autobot with him; do not underestimate a loose bug, he could present a threat if left to his own devices. Time to return to the web"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee snuck through the tunnels until eventually coming up to the web from behind.

"Finally!" said Bumblebee quietly. He snuck up behind the web. "Hey Optimus, it's me"

"Bumblebee, what are you doing here?" asked Optimus quietly.

"I stayed hidden the whole time" replied Bumblebee quietly "Now hang on, I'm gonna' get you out of there"

"Bumblebee, you have to get out of here while you still can" said Optimus quietly.

"Not without you!" said Bumblebee quietly.

"It's exactly what she wants" said Optimus quietly.

"Just hang on there; I'll get you out before she knows it" said Bumblebee quietly. He grabbed onto the silk that entrapped Optimus and began to pull it apart. Suddenly, eight long metal legs came down and surrounded him. Airachnid, now taking the form of a spider from the waist down, poked her head down towards him.

"Easy prey!" smirked Airachnid. Bumblebee transformed and drove off down the tunnel behind him. "I do love a good chase before the slaughter" She chased after him down the tunnel.

 _Meanwhile_

Wheeljack tweaked the "Duplicator" a little more with his spanner.

"There; hopefully that should do it this time" said Wheeljack "Now I just need to test it out"

"Wheeljack" said a voice. Wheeljack turned to see Prowl standing in the doorway.

"Hey Prowl, check my new device!" said Wheeljack "I call it—"

"Wheeljack, just stop this" said Prowl.

"Stop what?" said Wheeljack.

"All of this" said Prowl "Wheeljack, I know that you love inventing; but a lot of the time, things don't work out"

"But when they do, they're great" said Wheeljack.

"And when they don't, it upsets you" said Prowl "You have your heart set on something; but when it doesn't go the way you wanted, you take it out on yourself" Wheeljack defensively stood in front of the "Duplicator".

"If I can get this sucker to work, than all of our supply problems will be solved" said Wheeljack.

"But if it doesn't, none of us can stand to see you go through such pain again" said Prowl "Just remember that" He exited. Wheeljack took a look at the "Duplicator" before sinking onto a crate and heaved a sigh.

"I'm just going around in circles here…" sighed Wheeljack. He picked up another vial of liquid from his desk and took a look at it. "I'm not gonna' get anywhere while testing on these things" He placed the vial back on his desk, stood up, and strutted off out of his workshop. He walked through the _Ark_ until eventually reaching the energon storage chamber. He opened the chamber and took a look at the small fraction of energon cubes they had left. He sighed and picked one up. He returned to his workshop and placed the cube in from of the "Duplicator". He picked up the nozzle and pointed it at the cube, covering his optics with his other hand. "Well…here goes nothing!" He emitted a beam from it. To his surprise when he uncovered his optics, there was not only no explosion, but there were now two cubes. Wheeljack leapt up in the air with excitement. "Eureka!"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream and Slipstream stood on the top of the _Nemesis_ with the rest of the Decepticons standing from the side.

"Make sure you win this, or we're both fragged" said Starscream.

"Be thankful that I stood up for you" said Slipstream "As the Humans would say; better the devil you know than the devil you don't know" Starscream just raised an eyebrow. "Don't ask me, the Humans came up with that expression" A charcoal UH-60 Black Hawk flew down and transformed into Blackout.

"I hope you are prepared to lose" said Blackout "You risked even more than your pride when you challenged me"

"From the looks of it, you're all talk" said Slipstream "It takes more than that to win a battle" Blackout clenched his teeth. Soundwave stepped forward.

"In order to win, you must successfully get your opponent outside of the designated area" said Soundwave "Use of weapons, powers, or transformations will lead to disqualification. Fight on the mark" Slipstream and Blackout got into prepared positions as Soundwave stepped back. "Let the fight begin" Slipstream and Blackout charged at each other and began brawling. Blackout continuously punched Slipstream in the stomach before she punched him right in the face, sending him back a few steps.

"Interesting start!" smirked Blackout. Slipstream ran forward and began punching and kicking him continuously. Suddenly, he struck forward with his fist and sent her flying back. He stomped forward and slammed his foot down towards her, but she was able to roll aside just in time to avoid it. Blackout swung his arm out and grabbed her then threw her onto the ground and started to brutally punch her face continuously. "Pathetic!" Slipstream grabbed hold of his fist.

"Stop…talking!" snarled Slipstream. She slowly moved his fist up towards his face and slammed it into his face. She then ran forward, slid herself underneath him, leapt up onto his back, and began to continuously punch him in the head. Blackout rolled himself over and crushed her beneath his weight. He then grabbed ahold of her and held her up.

"Ha!" smirked Blackout. He was about to throw her out of the designated area when she was able to wriggle herself free and dropped down, landing on his face in the process. Whilst still in mid-air, she kicked forward at his chest, causing him to skid backwards. He stopped skidding before he could reach the edge of the designated area.

"I knew I couldn't match you in strength, so I aimed for speed" said Slipstream "Looks like being a brute has its perks and hitches" Blackout clenched his teeth, turned his hand into a rotor blade, and charged towards her. She was just about to prepare herself for it when Soundwave swooped in, grabbed Blackout by the wrist, and held it up.

"Blackout: Disqualified" said Soundwave "Remember that weapons are prohibited" Blackout growled angrily before Soundwave released him. "Slipstream wins this match meaning that Decepticon leadership remains the same"

"Bad luck, Blackout" smirked Starscream "Maybe next time"

"We'll see soon enough, Starscream" said Blackout. He turned to leave.

"Congratulations, Sister; you've come through well" said Starscream whilst placing his hand around Slipstream, but she quickly pulled herself out.

"I didn't do it for you, I did for the whole crew" said Slipstream "Blackout's up to something, something he needs a position of power to gain. At least with you, I know what you're planning"

"Whatever" said Starscream "At least you're loyal" Slipstream heaved a sighed.

 _Meanwhile_

"Why can't Starscream just locate and retrieve us?" said Skywarp.

"Because no doubt she's got a jammer to hide us from the _Nemesis_ 's sensors" said Thundercracker "It also means the Autobots can't locate Prime either"

"We should never have gone on this mission" said Skywarp.

"How were we suppose to know it was a trap?" snarled Thundercracker "Besides; we probably would've got away if you hadn't run headlong down the tunnels like that"

"You had a clear shot at her, why didn't you take her out while you had the chance?" snarled Skywarp. Optimus began to feel his right hand more because Bumblebee had loosened the silk. He retracted out his blade and began to cut himself free of the silk and webbing until he could walk out. "What; he got out!? How did he do that?" Optimus looked off down the tunnel where Bumblebee and Airachnid had disappeared down and retracted out his battle mask.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee raced down the tunnels until eventually reaching a dead end, transformed, and skidded to a stop.

"Dead end, damn it!" said Bumblebee under his breath. Suddenly, he was stuck to the wall by a large piece of silk. Airachnid crept up to him.

"A bug like you is hardly worth the sport" said Airachnid "You have no place on my wall, but perhaps some of your fellow Autobots do"

"If you get anywhere near them—" said Bumblebee.

"I'll slit their throats when they're not looking" said Airachnid "That's what will happen"

"Airachnid, release him" said Optimus as he entered with an ion blaster pointed at her. Airachnid placed her fingers around Bumblebee's throat.

"Back off, or I'm gutting this bee" said Airachnid.

"Don't worry about me, Optimus; get her!" said Bumblebee. Airachnid tightened her grip around his neck.

"You're just the bargaining chip, remember?" said Airachnid "Besides, you seem keen to die"

"You don't want to become a target for either Autobot or Decepticon forces" said Optimus "I know that you are a rogue"

"And how would know that?" smirked Airachnid.

"If Starscream was involved in this trap, he wouldn't have sent Skywarp and Thundercracker to find a false energy reading" replied Optimus "Now surrender"

"You know, this hunt is getting boring" said Airachnid whilst releasing her grip from Bumblebee's throat. She crept over to the corner, with Optimus not taking his ion blaster off her. "I always prefer to savor the hunt for all of its simplicity, but this is getting too complicated for my liking. 'Till next time, boys!" He leapt up onto the roof of the tunnel and drilled her way out. Optimus walked over to Bumblebee and ripped him free of the silk.

"Are you okay, Bumblebee?" asked Optimus whilst retracting his battle mask.

"Yeah; thanks, Optimus" replied Bumblebee "But it looks like we lost her"

"We'll just have to get her next time" said Optimus. They walked down the tunnels and reached the web, where Thundercracker and Skywarp were still trapped.

"Come to mock us?" said Thundercracker "First that spider, now Autobots!"

"We could always just leave them here" said Bumblebee "But I don't think the Decepticons will be coming for them" Optimus walked over to the webbing that held it to the walls and shot them with his ion blaster.

"Bumblebee, let's leave" said Optimus.

"Not so fast, Prime!" said Skywarp whilst standing up and turning his hand into a four-bladed weapon "Starscream may have sent us on a dud mission; but we can't just leave here empty handed, especially since you're here. Maybe he'll forgive us if we bring your head in"

"It has been a long day and neither of us have gotten what we've wanted" said Optimus "Stand down and we can go our separate ways"

"You really think I'm that stupid?" said Skywarp "You'll just shoot us down when we turn our backs; then you'll have two prisoners, to make up for losing Barricade"

"Just stop it" said Thundercracker "After what happened today, I'm no mood for a fight" He exited the cave with Skywarp following behind. The two of them transformed and flew off.

"How are we gonna' explain to Starscream that we just let Prime get away?" said Skywarp.

"Simple" replied Thundercracker "We leave out his part" Optimus and Bumblebee walked out of the cave.

"It seems that we have another Decepticon loose on this planet" said Optimus.

"Two of them, I'm afraid" said Bumblebee "While you were stuck, I was attacked by a big green brute. He calls himself Waspinator; he seemed to know me, but I think I would've remembered encountering a giant insect monster like him"

"Airachnid may not be affiliated with the other Decepticons, but she is dangerous nonetheless" said Optimus "We need to be prepared should we meet her again" Unbeknownst to the two of them, a green and purple front-end loader watched them from atop a cliff and drove away.

 _Later_

"There; I don't think any of the damage was severe" said Ratchet. Optimus sat up from the crate he was sitting on.

"At least you didn't have to worry about an explosion this time" smirked Jazz.

"In all seriousness, this could be bad news" said Prowl "It's bad enough that we have to deal with Starscream and his followers; rogue Decepticons are unpredictable and distract us from the main task" At that moment, Wheeljack entered with the "Duplicator" in his hands.

"Hey Bossbot, I've got something to show you" said Wheeljack.

"Oh no!" said Prowl "Wheeljack, I told you to drop it" Wheeljack placed the "Duplicator" on a crate.

"What is this?" asked Optimus.

"It's my latest invention" said Wheeljack "Well; technically, I've been working on it for years. But I think I just got it cracked. It's called the "Duplicator"; its purpose is to make more energon from existing energon so that we never run out. Great plan, eh?"

"Does it work?" asked Breakaway.

"Of course it does" said Wheeljack "Just a minute" He rushed off and returned with an energon cube.

"Wheeljack, what are you doing?" asked Prowl.

"I'm showing Optimus how it works, that's what" replied Wheeljack. He placed the energon cube in front of the "Duplicator".

"Put that cube back!" said Prowl.

"Stay with me, Prowl" said Wheeljack.

"No, I won't" said Prowl "You're just about to risk an energon cube in order to test your invention"

"It's not a test" said Wheeljack "It works just fine" He pointed the nozzle at the energon cube and duplicated it.

"Wait, what?" said Prowl.

"Wow" said Arcee.

"Well I'll be" said Ironhide.

"Unbelievable" said Bulkhead.

"By the AllSpark!" said Breakaway.

"Wheeljack, how…how did you…this could actually solve all of our problems!" said Prowl "If can create more energon, then we're not over-reliant on finding energon mounds; thus, we can spend more time on other things. Great job, Wheeljack"

"Why thank you" said Wheeljack. He picked up the "Duplicator" and started walking off to his lab. "I'll just take this back to my lab so it's all safe and—" It was then that he tripped over a crate that he hadn't noticed, causing him to fall over and smash the "Duplicator". He picked the remains of his invention and looked at them in a look of utter horror.

"I guess you'll just have to go over the blueprints again" said Prowl.

"Blueprints?" said Wheeljack.

"You did create blueprints?" said Prowl "I mean; ideally, you should be prepared in case you need to make more and blueprints help you remember how it all works and gets put back together. You know that, right?"

"Umm…I didn't make any blueprints" said Wheeljack.

"And why not?" asked Prowl, his sternness coming back.

"I put all my effort into it so I didn't really have time to make blueprints" said Wheeljack "Besides, they just slow down the work process" Prowl sighed.

"So basically, you just lost us a one-of-a-kind invention that was actually useful and you can't rebuild it?" said Prowl.

"I can at least try" said Wheeljack. He started picking up the pieces and carefully took them back to the lab. "Well; back to the drawing board"

"Hey Arcee, do you know where Melody is?" asked Bumblebee.

"She's just outside" replied Arcee "She said she wanted some fresh air"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody sat on the outside of the mountain. She scrolled through the contacts on her phone and briefly looked at Bobby. At that moment, Bumblebee stepped out. She put her phone away.

"You're back" said Melody.

"Sorry I couldn't come back in time for the game" said Bumblebee. He sat down next to her. "So how have things been holding up?"

"It's been fine" said Melody "Still getting used to this whole "secret life" stuff. I mean; I can't exactly tell mom that I'm hanging out with giant robots, so it's pretty hard to come up with excuses for why I may be home late"

"We'll never get you home late" said Bumblebee "You know, Arcee told me of some Human friends of yours that she saw you hanging out with"

"She's probably referring to Bobby Parker and Kate Kelly" said Melody "Yeah, they're my friends. We talk to each other a lot, but I haven't exactly told them about this secret life. I mean, it's great and all; but like Prowl said, we can't drag people into all of this. It just makes them targets, and that's what we're trying to avoid stuff like that. At the same time though, I feel a little bad about lying. Do you understand?"

"Of course I do" said Bumblebee "Listen; I know it must be hard to be dishonest with your friends, but…well, I don't really have an answer. It's just something you have to deal with" He smiled down at her. "You know; today, I fought a giant wasp…"

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

The front-end loader drove through into a hallway and transformed into a robot with red optics. He walked into a room which contained many computer panels.

"The Autobots and the Decepticons may think that you're gone, but that is far from the truth" said the robot "You were lucky that we found you when we did, you may have been far from revival at that point. I and the rest of my group are gathering allies as fast as we can to assist in distracting both sides until you are ready once more. I, Scrapper, shall have the honor of bringing you back to full strength, my lord" In front of him, lying limbless (minus his right arm and cannon) on a medical bed with high life support, was the badly burned and unconscious body of Megatron.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Thanks for all of the reviews so far; I hope you enjoy the main series.

 **Martin** : Thanks for the review. Just to let you know, the main Humans in the series will be original creations. But I'm already planning on having Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky to make a cameo further on in the series, I might give Sari a cameo as well.


	7. Old Friends

_The Ark_

"Okay; now just grace yourself and prepare to catch it" said Bulkhead whilst holding a large metal ball in his hands.

"I'm not sure if I'm good for this" said Breakaway.

"C'mon; my old pal Springer was about the same size as you and he could handle it just fine" said Bulkhead.

"What are they doing?" asked Melody.

"It's called lobbing; a popular game back on Cybertron" replied Arcee.

"Especially amongst warrior class" said Bumblebee.

"Ready" said Bulkhead "One…two…"

"Bulkhead, wait!" said Breakaway.

"Three!" said Bulkhead whilst throwing the ball at him, slamming him against the wall "Seems I win"

"By far" said Breakaway whilst getting himself up "And I'm not in the mood to dispute that claim" He exited. Bulkhead heaved a sigh.

"What's wrong, Bulkhead?" asked Melody.

"Things are just not right" said Bulkhead "Back on Cybertron, before I joined Optimus, I was part of an elite strike team. We called ourselves the Wreckers, because we wrecked things up good time…man, those were the days. Me, Springer, Windblade, the rest of us…"

"What happened?" asked Melody.

"It's…It's a bit too painful to say" said Bulkhead,

"It's fine, son" said Ironhide "We all have stories that we don't want to share"

"When I joined Prime's crew, I made new friends" said Bulkhead "But I still miss the days when I could play lobbing with anyone"

 _Meanwhile in Earth's orbit_

A purple and orange starship slowly descended towards Earth.

"Computer, have we reached the planet?" asked a voice in the cockpit.

" _Positive"_

"Can you locate the Autobot outpost?" asked Springer. The computer screen brought up a map of Earth with the _Ark_ 's location on a red dot.

" _It is located south from here"_

"Send a call out" said the voice.

" _Acknowledged"_

"Time to pop in on old friends" said a voice.

 **Old Friends**

 _Meanwhile_

"Optimus, you've got to see this" said Ratchet "Teletraan I has is receiving a transmission, from what appears to be an Autobot craft in orbit"

"How long has it been there?" asked Optimus.

"It only just arrived" replied Ratchet "Should I answer it?"

"Yes, Ratchet" replied Optimus. Ratchet pressed the respond button.

"This is the _Ark_ " said Ratchet "Autobot vessel, identify yourself"

"This is Autobot Springer from the _Xantium_ " replied a voice through Teletraan. Bulkhead pricked up when he heard that voice. "I've travelling for a long time and I only recently found detected your ship. I request landing"

"Springer, is that really you?" asked Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead?" said Springer "Ha; thought I'd find you here. So; can I land or not?"

"Yes; you have permission to land" said Optimus "We are sending you coordinates to a landing area"

"Roger that" said Springer "See you on the other side, Bulk" The transmission ended.

"I can't believe it!" said Bulkhead "My old mate Springer is coming!"

"Another Wrecker…Primus forbid" said Prowl.

"Not exactly" said Jazz "I mean, there's only ten of us and the Cons have an army; any more help is accepted"

"Jazz has a point" said Wheeljack. Prowl scratched his chin.

"We could use some more numbers to hold up against the Decepticons" said Prowl.

"Alright!" said Bulkhead.

 _Meanwhile in the Nemesis_

"Roger that" played Soundwave "See you on the other side"

"Another Autobot, interesting" said Starscream.

"We should shoot him down while we have the chance" said Slipstream.

"Not yet" said Starscream "We may have some use for this situation. Soundwave, keep Laserbeak within close distance of the ship, but stay out of sight"

"As you command" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

"Why does he have to land so far away?" asked Bulkhead.

"It is necessary" replied Ratchet "If he lands too near the _Ark_ , the Decepticons might learn of our location"

"And that would really spoil his arrival" said Ironhide. Ratchet opened up the ground bridge. Bulkhead, Bumblebee, and Arcee walked through and came out at Utah, where Springer's ship descended down towards them and landed. The ramp came down and Springer stepped out. He was a green Autobot with blue optics.

"So…this all you got?" said Springer.

"Springy!" said Bulkhead whilst running up to him and giving him a good hug.

"Ha ha ha; we've got a hugger here" smirked Springer "How's it been, Big Green?"

"It's been good" replied Bulkhead "But man; I missed you, Little Green"

"Little Green?" said Springer "I'm Medium Green, remember?" Bulkhead brought stepped back.

"Springer, I would like you to meet Bumblebee and Arcee" said Bulkhead.

"Nice to meet you" said Springer "Do you put up with Bulkhead well?"

"We try" smirked Arcee.

"So, is the base underground or something?" asked Springer.

"It is" replied Bulkhead "But it's not here. We had to make this arrangement to make sure the Decepticons didn't find our base"

"Better to be safe than sorry" said Springer.

"We're actually meant to bring you back to base" said Bulkhead "Ratchet, time for a ground bridge" A ground bridge appeared behind them. "Time to see the real base"

"Just a second" said Springer. He got out a small remote and pressed it, with a blue shield briefly flashing over the ship. "Had to activate defense mode; can't leave the ship unattended without protection, especially if the Cons could get a hold of it" They entered the portal, unaware that Laserbeak sat on a small tree watching them.

 _Meanwhile_

Soundwave's mask had retracted, revealing a screen which showed everything Laserbeak was seeing.

"Let's see how good that defense mode holds up against a little carpet bombing" said Slipstream.

"Which we are not going to do just yet" said Starscream.

"The Autobots have left it unattended, this is our moment to strike" said Slipstream.

"If the Autobot placed protection on his ship, no doubt there's something valuable inside" said Starscream "Or at least something he doesn't wish us to find"

"Maybe he's just paranoid" said Slipstream.

"Believe me, the last thing a Wrecker is is paranoid" said Starscream.

"Then what should we do?" asked Slipstream.

"We'll just wait for now" replied Starscream "They'll eventually have to come back. And when they do, we will find out what lies inside"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Springer entered the _Ark_.

"Springer, I would like you to meet the rest of my team" said Bulkhead "Team, I'd like you to meet my old pal Springer" Prowl walked over to them.

"My name is Prowl" said Prowl "Bulkhead has told us so much about you. He's told us that you're a skilled and cunning warrior who is as determined as he is deadly. There is few of us, but any one Autobot can make a difference" He extended his hand out. "Your presence is very much appreciated" Springer took a look at his hand before given it a high-five instead of shaking it.

"Great to meet you too" said Springer. Prowl heaved a sigh. Optimus walked up to him. "Optimus Prime! It is indeed an honor to meet you"

"The honor is mine" said Optimus "The part you played in the war was significant" Springer grinned. He looked over at Ratchet who was working at Teletraan I.

"Nice computer, Doc" said Springer "What do you call it?"

"It's called Teletraan I" replied Ratchet "And I would prefer it if you didn't call me "Doc""

"Okay, I didn't mean to offend you or anything; what should I call you then?" said Springer.

"My name is Ratchet" replied Ratchet.

"Alright, Ratchet" said Springer. Ratchet sighed. Bulkhead walked up to him.

"So; I was thinking of giving you the guided tour" said Bulkhead.

"Actually; I was thinking the same thing, but for my ship" said Springer.

"But I've seen her about a thousand times" said Bulkhead.

"You have, but they haven't" said Springer.

"That'd be cool" said Arcee.

"Yeah; let's do that" said Bumblebee.

"I'd be up for that" said Melody. Springer turned towards her.

"This is Melody, she's a native of this planet" said Bulkhead. Springer walked over to Melody.

"In all my travels across the galaxy, I don't think I've seen anything like you" said Springer "It's nice to meet you. Anyone else want a tour?"

"No thanks" said Prowl "I've got more important things to do"

"There are certain things I have to do for Teletraan I" said Ratchet.

"I am scheduled to go on patrol with Ironhide, Jazz, and Wheeljack" said Optimus "But considering the current status, we may cut it short"

"And I'm still resting from that lobbing before" said Breakaway.

"Guess it leaves the five of us" said Springer. Ratchet opened the ground bridge. Bumblebee extended his hand out for Melody and placed her on his shoulder as they all walked through. Springer got out his remote and turned the defense mode off.

"So what's the ship called?" asked Arcee.

"She's called the _Xantium_ " replied Springer "C'mon; I'll show you what she looks like on the inside" They walked inside; unbeknownst that Laserbeak followed them in. Springer brought them to the cockpit. "First we have the cockpit, where I do all the flying—"

"Hey Springer, can you show the armory room?" asked Bulkhead.

"But that's why at the back" said Springer.

"I know, but don't you want to show them your best guns?" said Bulkhead "You've got the best weapons collection this side of the galaxy" Springer sighed.

"I was hoping to hold it off as long as I could, especially since you seemed so thrilled" said Springer.

"Hold off what?" asked Bulkhead.

"It's better if I showed you" said Springer. He led them to down a corridor to a door. "Melody, you may want to stay back here"

"Why?" asked Melody.

"You may not be prepared to see this" said Springer "Don't worry, I have it all under control; but it may be a bit shocking"

"I'm sure I can handle it" said Melody.

"Trust her on that one" said Bumblebee "You won't believe the things she's seen during her time with us"

"Alright" said Springer "Just stay calm and follow me" He opened the door, revealing what lay behind on the other side. A corridor of cells lay before them, with a Decepticon in each of them.

"Woah!" said Bulkhead. They began walking down the corridor. "You've been keeping yourself busy"

"What are you looking at?" snapped Drag Strip, a yellow Decepticon with a red visor and byzantium stripes. Notably, he had a metal collar around his neck.

"Quite the charmers, aren't they?" said Arcee. They then came up to Brawl, a large moss green Decepticon with red optics. He also had a metal collar around his neck.

"Huh?" said Brawl whilst standing up. He walked over to the shield that held him in prison and began to punch it aggressively. "Let me out of here, Autobots; before I crush your heads!"

"Good luck on that, Brawl" said Springer.

"Why can't they just transform?" asked Bumblebee.

"I made sure that I gave each and every one of them an inhibitor collar" replied Springer "They prevent a Cybertronian from transforming or from using their weapons. Can't risk them getting out, especially with all the trouble it took to get them in" They then came up to another Decepticon. This one was black and had red optics. He sat cross-legged with his back to them.

"Who's this one?" asked Melody.

"Don't know his name" replied Springer "It took a lot of strategy to take him down and he hasn't spoken since"

"So why do you have all these Decepticons here?" asked Bulkhead

"Ever since I left Cybertron, I've been tracking down Decepticons and locking them up in here" said Springer "Now; all the cells are filled, and I'm running out of inhibitor collars. A few days ago, I learned of an Autobot outpost on this planet. I came here to drop them off at a secure facility"

"But we don't have any cells outside of the few we have in the _Ark_ " said Arcee "I don't think it's enough to hold all of these guys"

"Then we'll need somewhere else to put them" said Springer. Laserbeak stuck his head out.

"We'll contact Prowl" said Bulkhead "He'll know what to the do"

"We'll have to go to the cockpit first" said Springer "You can't use comm-devices at this point. Safety precautions" They started walking back to the cockpit, but something caught Melody's eye.

"What's that?" asked Melody. Lying at the end of the corridor was a large stasis pod, and within lay a large transformer with the Decepticon symbol on his chest.

"Something that is better left trapped" replied Springer. They turned back and exited the corridor, unaware that Laserbeak followed them.

 _Meanwhile_

"So that's what he's hiding" said Starscream "This could prove an advantage for us. We already outnumber the Autobots; just imagine how this will tip our chances further"

"And what makes you think they'll follow you?" said Slipstream.

"Because I am their leader, their Emperor of Destruction" said Starscream.

"Lots of Decepticons didn't follow Megatron when he was leader, what makes you think you can?" said Slipstream.

"I can be very persuasive" said Starscream "Soundwave, instruct Laserbeak to release the prisoners, and find a way to deactivate the collars. But make sure he stays out of sight"

 _Meanwhile_

Laserbeak silently crept across the roof and into the cockpit.

"Are you sure there's too many for our cells?" asked Prowl through Bulkhead's comlink.

"We only have four cells; I saw eight here, and they're all full" replied Bulkhead into his comlink.

"I see" said Prowl "We'll have to figure something out. In the meantime, just stay with the prisoners"

"We'll; we've got that dealt with" said Bulkhead.

"All of that aside, I really am proud to have a little Wrecker reunion" said Springer "I just wish the others were here"

"Have you made contact with any of them?" asked Bulkhead.

"Unfortunately, no" said Springer "I haven't seen any of the old gang since Cybertron went dark"

"What did happen to the Wreckers?" asked Melody.

"I'm not sure if that's the best question to ask at the moment" said Arcee.

"No; you guys deserve to know the truth" said Springer "It was during the final years of the war. The Wreckers were battling against impossible odds in the Sea of Rust. Our leader, Impactor, was determined but the Cons were being led by a Seeker Captain who outmatched us in strategy. He seemed to outwit us every step of the way, but we had backup on our side. We called for the Elite Guard and they responded positively, but they never came. The Cons picked us off one by one until only a handful remained. Impactor told us to retreat while he held them off. The last I saw of him, he was getting gunned down by Vehicons; the leader of the Wreckers, killed by simple Vehicons. If it wasn't for Bulkhead's timely arrival with the _Xantium_ , I don't think any of us would've gotten out. That was our last stand, we disbanded after that. If the Elite Guard had only heeded our call, things may have been different"

"There must have been some other reason" said Bumblebee "Perhaps they were delayed or preoccupied"

"That doesn't matter" said Springer "They said they would help us, but they never did" Hidden from their sight, Laserbeak carefully crept up onto the control panel. He extended his foot out and connected into the panel and hacked into it.

 _Meanwhile_

The cells' shields went down and the collars deactivated and clicked off.

"Finally!" said Brawl "I've been waiting to get out!" Drag Strip stepped out.

"Time to stretch my wheels!" said Drag Strip. He transformed into a Cybertronian race car and rushed off.

 _Meanwhile_

"Sounds like there's a commotion" said Bumblebee.

"I'll go check it out" said Springer "They usually get into these sorts of fights. They can't get out of physically hurt each other, but it can get quite annoying; especially on a long trip" He turned to the door, just before Drag Strip zoomed through and out of the ship.

"See'ya, Springer!" said Drag Strip "Hahahahaha!"

"Drag Strip, what is he doing out?" said Springer "Unless…oh no!" Suddenly, Bulkhead was blasted in the back. "Bulkhead!" Standing in the doorway was Brawl, who had transformed into a Cybertronian tank.

"Feels good to try my cannon out again!" smirked Brawl before transforming. Springer pulled a saber out from his back whilst Bumblebee and Arcee turned their hands into their blasters.

"Bee, get Melody out of here" said Arcee. Bumblebee turned his blasters back into his hands and ran out of the ship.

"Get back to your cell, Brawl" said Springer "We have you outnumbered"

"Really?" said Brawl "You haven't learned a thing" Suddenly, a flash of black sped forward and knocked out Arcee. It then revealed itself to be the quiet black Decepticon.

"No!" said Springer. The Decepticon turned towards him. Springer pointed his saber towards him. "Stay back!" With a quick swing, the Decepticon swept forward and kicked him out at the jaw within a single second.

"I've been waiting for this a long time!" said Brawl.

"No doubt the yellow one has called for backup" said the Decepticon "If we want a head start, we must leave now"

"But I've waited so long for this!" snapped Brawl "I will have this revenge!"

"Your revenge will be short-lived if the Autobots get us into custody again" said the Decepticon.

 _Meanwhile_

"Bumblebee to _Ark_ , we've got a problem" said Bumblebee into his comlink "Prisoners have gotten, I need a ground bridge back to base and backup"

"Acknowledged" said Prowl "Optimus is still out on patrol, but we're on our way" It was then that Bumblebee noticed Brawl and the other Decepticon coming out of the ship. He hid on the side of the ship and peered out discreetly. Despite being hidden, he had the feeling he was being watched, which was soon confirmed when he saw a shadow peer over him. He looked up to see another Decepticon looking down at him from the roof. This one was brown, purple, and black and had red optics. Bumblebee and Melody were breathless at the sight, but the Decepticon didn't move an inch.

"What kind of planet is this?" said a voice. Bumblebee looked over and saw two Decepticons, one black and one white and both with red optics, walk out of the _Xantium_.

"I don't know" said Runamuck (the white one) "I just hope we can get some good disguises" Bumblebee slipped back into hiding.

"Hey, did you see that?" said Runabout (the black one).

"See what?" said Runamuck.

"There's something over there" said Runabout. They ran over to where Bumblebee was hiding. Bumblebee gently placed Melody on the ground, out of sight.

"Stay here" said Bumblebee quietly. He turned his hands into his blasters.

"Well, well, well; look what we got here" said Runabout "I knew someone was hiding sneaking around" He and Runamuck's hands turned into blasters.

"Let's see if our blasters work" said Runamuck. The two of them began shooting with Bumblebee returning fire. The brown Decepticon, however, watched all of it silently.

"You've got nowhere to run, Autobrat!" smirked Runabout. At that moment, a ground bridge opened up and Prowl and Breakaway came through.

"More of them!" said Runamuck.

"Stand down, Decepticons" said Prowl whilst he and Breakaway turned their hands into blasters.

"We won't ever back down from you, Autobots!" said Runamuck "Runabout, let's blast them away!" They began shooting again. During the fight, Runabout looked up at the Decepticon who was watching them.

"What are you doing?" snapped Runabout "Come down and help us!"

"I destroy Autobots by choice, not command" said the Decepticon in a whispery voice.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee awoke to find herself entrapped and being dragged across the corridor by slimy metal tentacles. At the end of the hall lay a large navy blue and orange Cybertronian walker which stood on two large legs with the metal tentacles spewing out of the front. Realizing what the walker was going do to her, Arcee retracted out her blades and began cutting against the tentacles until eventually freeing herself. The walker gasped in pain before transforming into a large frog-like humanoid robot and writhed in pain. At that moment, Bulkhead and Springer entered.

"Arcee, are you o…WOAH!" said Bulkhead. The frog-like robot quickly leapt across the corridor and escaped out of the ship.

"Looks like Spittor's out too" said Springer.

"It seems that everyone's out" said Bulkhead. Springer sprinted across the room to check on the stasis pod.

"Phew; stasis pod's still sealed" said Springer.

"How did this happen?" said Arcee.

"I'm not sure" said Springer "I've checked my systems over and over and they're clean, no faults whatsoever. The only way they could have been released was if someone operated it manually. How could anyone—"

"Hold on, I hear something outside" said Bulkhead "Listen" They stopped talking and heard blaster fire.

"Bumblebee!" exclaimed Arcee.

"What are we standing around for?" said Springer "Let's go!" They ran out of the corridor, but Laserbeak flew down from the roof silently.

 _Meanwhile_

"Let's see what we have here" said Starscream "Something else that he wishes to hide from us" He gasped at the sight of the stasis pod. "A stasis pod, wherein lies a Decepticon like nothing I've ever seen before. With his size and presumable strength, he would make a fine addition to our army. Soundwave, have Laserbeak release him"

"As you command" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

Laserbeak flew down to the stasis pod and activated it, causing the pod to open up. As the steam cleared, the Decepticon slowly stepped out, revealing a large pair of wings on his back, and opened his red optics wide.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee, Bulkhead, and Springer ran to the fight outside.

"Hold it, Cons!" said Bulkhead whilst turning his hands into his maces. The Autobots surrounded Runabout and Runamuck.

"You're outnumbered and outgunned" said Prowl "It would wise to stand down"

"Really?" said a voice. Everyone turned their heads back to the _Xantium_. Standing in the doorway was a large blue Decepticon distinguished by his red face and yellow optics.

"Breakdown!" said Bulkhead and Springer simultaneously.

"I'm not too late to join the party, am I?" said Breakdown whilst turning his hand into a hammer. He stepped over to the Autobots and raised his hammer, ready to smash it down. Suddenly, the large Decepticon from the stasis pod stomped out.

"What kind of Decepticon is that?" said Breakaway. The Decepticon slowly began to float up.

"I…am…THUNDERWING!" snarled the Decepticon. Runabout and Runamuck ran away at the first sight of him, followed shortly by Breakdown. The Decepticon on the roof just crept away.

"Now that's just not good" said Breakaway.

"How do we stop this guy?" said Bulkhead. Springer began to stroke his chin in thought.

"I may have an idea" said Springer "But I'll need some time to get it ready. Do you think you can hold him off for long?"

"We'll try" said Prowl. Springer nodded, transformed into a Cybertronian car, and rushed back inside the _Xantium_. "Bumblebee, get Melody back to base and bring some cables"

"Got it" said Bumblebee "Ratchet, bring up a ground bridge" A ground bridge appeared behind them. Bumblebee picked up Melody and ran through.

"Alright, Autobots; let's shoot him down" said Prowl. They all pointed their blasters at Thundering and began shooting, to little effect. Thunderwing simply looked down extended his hands towards them and blasted a powerful purple energy beam at them. "Watch out!" They dodged out of the beam's way.

"You will not stop me from what I need to do" said Thunderwing.

 _Meanwhile_

Springer rushed into the armory room and transformed. He took a look around and started searching through the various sections and draws. He eventually got ahold of a hammer and had a look at it. However, his optics were soon drawn to a large spiked club which he picked up and had a look at. He then placed it down and picked up a large gatling gun with five barrels. But as soon as he looked up at a section, he placed down the gun and grabbed ahold of a small pad.

"This'll do it" said Springer.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee emerged from a ground bridge with five cable guns.

"Got your cables for you" said Bumblebee whilst chucking them over to each of the Autobots.

"Autobots, aim at his arms and legs!" said Prowl. They shot the cable guns upwards at Thunderwing and fire, entrapping his arms and legs. "Together now…Let's bring him down!" They began pulling Thunderwing down; but he resisted strongly, pulling himself back upwards.

"He's too strong for us!" said Arcee.

"Don't give in!" said Prowl "We have to keep him from escaping!" Suddenly, Thunderwing gave a powerful pull, sending all five of the Autobots flying in different directions and freeing himself of the cables.

"I have no time for this" said Thunderwing "It would be better spent somewhere else" At that moment, Starscream, Slipstream, and a group of Vehicon jets flew down and transformed. Thunderwing floated down. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Great Decepticon, I, Lord Starscream, was the one that released you" said Starscream "It is because of me that you are free now"

"And what do you expect of me?" said Thunderwing.

"Oh; nothing much, nothing much" said Starscream "Except, of course, you're loyalty"

"And what makes you think that I will follow you?" said Thunderwing.

"You're a Decepticon, I'm the Decepticon leader" said Starscream "It's quite simple really"

"Just because I wear this symbol doesn't make me one of you" said Thunderwing "I serve neither side, only my own"

"Really?" said Starscream.

"Forget it, he's obviously not into it" said Slipstream.

"Listen here; I know you're trying to get smart, but in this war you're either on our side or not" said Thunderwing "Join us, and we'll be a great ally; turn against us, and I guarantee that you'll regret it. And ask yourself: "Is it really worth it?" Unless you want to take the risk, I'd recommend you to—" Suddenly, Thunderwing grabbed ahold of Starscream's arm.

"No thank you" said Thunderwing. He tore Starscream's arm off and kicked him to the ground. Starscream took one look at the stub of his arm and gasped.

"How dare you!" said Starscream "Destroy him!" The Vehicons opened fire on Thunderwing, who merely blasted beams and destroyed half of them. "Blast him again!"

"Starscream, we have to retreat back to the _Nemesis_ " said Slipstream.

"I am leader of the Decepticons!" snapped Starscream "If I let this rogue go, I won't be able to set an example to all potential traitors"

"Unless you want your reign to last only a few more seconds, I'd suggest we'd get out of here" said Slipstream. Starscream snarled, transformed, and flew off, followed by Slipstream and the remaining Vehicons.

"It would seem that the Decepticon line has grown weak in my absence" said Thunderwing.

"But not the Autobots" said a voice. Thunderwing turned around to see Springer standing there.

"Back away, Autobot" said Thunderwing "This is none of your concern"

"It is when you beat my fellow Autobots around" said Springer.

"They got in my way" said Thunderwing "If you value your own life, you will stay away"

"I won't do that" said Springer "A Wrecker never runs" He transformed and zoomed towards him. Thunderwing leapt up into the air and stomped on him from behind. Springer transformed but Thunderwing grabbed him by the throat and started floating up into the air.

"I gave you the opportunity to leave and survive" said Thunderwing "But you have chosen death" He reached his hand towards Springer's chest. Suddenly, Springer slammed the pad on Thunderwing's hand. "What is this?" Metal pieces extended out from the pad and began to entrap him and it didn't take long to realize what it was turning into.

"Portable stasis pod" said Springer "Handy, in case you needed to trap something that's hard to catch"

"But this technology does not exist on Cybertron" said Thunderwing.

"You're right" said Springer "Stuff isn't from Cybertron. But I've been visiting different worlds"

"You haven't won" said Thunderwing "I will be free once more, even if it takes a million years…" The stasis pod finished entrapping Thunderwing, causing both it and Springer to rocket towards the ground.

"Springer!" exclaimed Arcee. Suddenly, just before he could hit the ground, Springer transformed into a Cybertronian helicopter and slowed his fall, leaving all the Autobots around him speechless and shocked. He transformed and landing on the ground.

"I don't believe it" said Prowl "You're…You're a triple-changer!"

"You bet" said Springer.

"This is incredible" said Prowl "I thought there weren't any triple-changers left after the war"

"Well; it's been fun and all, but I could use something to cool down" said Springer "Perhaps along the lines of a tour of your base" From atop the roof of the _Xantium_ , the brown Decepticon looked down, squinted, transformed into a Cybertronian rocket jet, and blasted off.

 _Meanwhile_

"Just hold still" said Thundercracker whilst trying to attach a new arm to Starscream. Starscream groaned and shuddered. "I said hold still!"

"I am holding still!" snarled Starscream.

"Do want a new arm or not?" said Thundercracker.

"I wouldn't need one if it weren't for that rogue!" snapped Starscream.

"And who's fault was that?" smirked Slipstream as she entered.

"And what do you mean by that?" snapped Starscream.

"Well, it was your idea to release him in the first place" said Slipstream.

"Are you saying that I have only myself to blame?" said Starscream.

"I'm not exactly saying it, but I'm certainly implying it" said Slipstream "In all seriousness, though; in the end, we released every one of those prisoners, and what have we got to show for it? Your plan didn't exactly go as you wanted it to"

"Perhaps not; but where you see failure, I see opportunity" said Starscream "Those prisoners may not have joined us yet, but that is not what matters. With more Decepticons on this planet, the Autobots will find it difficult to attack so many threats at once and force them to split up. And when that happens, it will make it easier to take them out. We'll just need to wait; but when it happens, the war will tip further in our favor"

 _One hour later_

"I've been looking through all of our files and have found no information on a Cybertronian named "Thunderwing"" said Ratchet.

"Whoever he is, I do not believe him to be a major threat at the moment" said Optimus "We have him locked him stasis deep within our vault, away from any Decepticon"

"I'm just glad we stopped him before he reached any Human settlements" said Prowl "Who knows what kind of damage he could've done"

"We're just lucky that Springer had one of those portable stasis pods" said Breakaway "We could definitely use some of those"

"I tried asking Springer for some, but he said that was the only one he had" said Prowl "Wreckers; so irresponsible" It was then that Bulkhead and Springer entered the room.

"And here we are back at the bridge" said Bulkhead "So what'ya think?"

"Cool" said Springer "I can certainly see your handiwork in all of this"

"You know; we've got some spare quarters, and I'm sure we can find new alternative modes for you" said Bulkhead "Why not stay here and move in with us? You know, we could use an extra hand with the Decepticons"

"Sounds like quite a riot" said Springer "But I can't"

"But you only just got here" said Bulkhead.

"I know" said Springer "But it's a big universe; there's so much more planets to go to, creatures to see. There's a big journey ahead of me"

"But…I thought we could team up again, just like the old days" said Bulkhead.

"And believe me, Bulkhead; I'd love that more than anything" said Springer "Just not at the moment. Ever since I left Cybertron, I was amazed by the things I saw on other planets. There are still so many things out there that I want to see, with my own two optics that is. But I guess…it's also because I'm just not ready to be a part of a team again yet" Bulkhead sighed.

"Springer, I know I can't change your mind" said Bulkhead "Just remember us here, okay? After all; as far as I'm concerned, you're an honorary member of our team"

"Really?" said Springer

"Springer, you will always have a place with us" said Optimus "When you are ready, we will welcome your return" Springer smirked.

"When I return, I'll make sure to have an entrance" smirked Springer "Expect a lot of explosions"

"Wreckers, Primus forbid" said Ratchet.

"Tell me about it" said Prowl. Ratchet opened the ground.

"Bulkhead, will you see me out?" asked Springer. Bulkhead nodded and followed him through the ground bridge. "Bulkhead, I know I said that I'm not exactly ready for a team yet; but when I am, I was actually thinking of reassembling the Wreckers. There are still a lot of us out there and possibly many Autobots who'd make fine members. Impactor may be gone, and we can carry on his memory"

"Why do you tell me this?" asked Bulkhead.

"I was actually wondering if you'd join me" replied Springer "Think about it; you, me, the _Xantium_. It'll be just like old times. What'ya say?"

"I'd love that, Springer" said Bulkhead "But I've still got work to do on Earth. Optimus needs as many Autobots as he can, and I just can't pull out now"

"I understand" said Springer "But don't worry, I'll be back soon. Then it'll be just like old times"

"Don't take too long" said Bulkhead "And don't forget where we are"

"Of course not" said Springer "How could forget old friends" He entered the _Xantium_ and took off. Bulkhead watched as the ship lifted off into the sky and disappeared. Bumblebee (with Melody on his shoulder) and Arcee walked up to him from behind.

"Quite a friend you've got there" said Bumblebee.

"Yeah…" said Bulkhead.

"Are you upset?" asked Arcee.

"No" said Bulkhead "It was nice seeing Springer again, while it lasted. And I know he's coming back. Still, it would have been nice to have someone to play lobbing with" Melody thought for a second before coming up with an idea.

"Say, Springer told us how the Wreckers fell apart" said Melody.

"Yeah, it was a truly tragic day for us" said Bulkhead.

"Well, I was just wondering how did you join the Wreckers and how did you meet Springer" said Melody.

"You know; you've told us all sorts of stories about your time with the Wreckers, but I don't think you've ever told us about how it all started" said Bumblebee.

"I've always wanted to know that" said Arcee. Bulkhead beamed.

"Well, it all began when the Decepticons attacked the moon where I grew up on" said Bulkhead "Springer and the Wreckers rushed in to help us; and after getting to know each other better, we became fast friends…"

 **Author's note** : The scene where Springer is searching through the armory is a homage to _Pulp Fiction_.

 **Master Skywalker 121** : Hey; it's always nice to see I have a fan that enjoys my stories. I hope you enjoy future chapters.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : I guess we'll just have to wait and see…

 **Martin** : (SPOILER WARNING) I was actually planning on doing a Beast Wars crossover sometime later in the series that will feature Blackarachnia.


	8. Grimlock

_Tanzania_

Bumblebee and Arcee walked through the savanna.

"It should be up ahead" said Bumblebee.

"There are no signs of a crash anywhere" said Arcee "Are you sure Ratchet was right about this ship?"

"He was right" said Bumblebee "We just need to go further"

"It's just hard to believe" said Arcee "An actual Cybertronian ship just appears out of nowhere and crashes into the planet"

"We had Springer only a few days ago" said Bumblebee.

"He at least contacted us beforehand" said Arcee "This just seems random"

"And if we're lucky, it could be Autobot" said Bumblebee. They walked up to the top of a hill, and looked down in the valley below. A large white, cyan, and light green ship lay crashed.

"Well; that's certainly the sign of a crash" said Arcee. The two of them walked down to examine it. Bumblebee rubbed some dirt off of it to reveal the Autobot insignia.

"At least we know the ship belongs to an Autobot" said Bumblebee.

"Or at least used to" said Arcee "Decepticons may have disguised it to sneak in"

"I believe the Human phrase is a Trojan horse" said Bumblebee. They walked over to the side to find that the door was ripped open. "Looks like the Cons found it first" He turned his hands into his blasters and Arcee did the same. They walked in cautiously when Bumblebee heard a familiar sound. "That's a ground bridge!" He rushed off down the halls.

"Bee, wait!" said Arcee quietly. She rushed after him. Bumblebee ran through the halls until eventually coming up to a small room where Barricade and two Vehicons stood.

"Oh!" said Bumblebee. Arcee soon caught up.

"This is not good" said Arcee.

"Autobots!" snapped Barricade "Stop them!" He and the other Vehicons began shooting at them, which Bumblebee and Arcee soon returned fire. "Get the pod to the other side, quickly!" He ran through the ground bridge. The Vehicons each grabbed an end of a large pod which lay in the middle of the room and began pulling and pushing it towards the portal, still shooting. Bumblebee and Arcee charged at them and successfully shot them down.

"We'd better get out of here before they send more Cons" said Bumblebee.

"Not before we get this back to base" said Arcee "Whatever it is; Starscream wants it, and that can't be good" Bumblebee looked around the room and realized that it was lined with more of the pods.

"Wait a second, these are stasis pods" said Bumblebee "Like the one that Springer held Thunderwing with"

"The crew must have gone into stasis for a long journey" said Arcee "That would explain why there was no contact" Bumblebee noticed that five pods were missing from the lineups.

"Looks like the Decepticons got ahold of the crew" said Bumblebee.

"Except this one" said Arcee "I wonder who it could be" She leapt up onto the pod and wiped away the screen, revealing a large and somewhat intimidating transformer inside with a grey, gold, and red coloration. This caused her to flinch.

"What is it?" asked Bumblebee. Arcee looked closer at the transformer and noticed an Autobot insignia on him.

"One thing's for sure, he's at least an Autobot" said Arcee.

 **Grimlock**

 _The Ark_

Ratchet opened up a ground bridge.

"Have you alerted Breakaway?" asked Optimus

"I have" replied Ratchet "He's on his way there now. Now remember; subtlety above all else"

"Understood" said Optimus. He, Jazz, and Ironhide walked through the ground bridge.

"Hey Ratchet, we could use a ground bridge" said Bumblebee through Teletraan I "And could you ask for some assistance to wait for us?"

"Why?" asked Ratchet.

"Let's just say we have something big coming through" replied Bumblebee.

"Heavy lifting, got it" said Ratchet. He opened up the ground bridge. "Bulkhead, they could use your assistance on the way in.

"On it" said Bulkhead. He ran over to the ground bridge where Bumblebee and Arcee entered, pushing and pulling the stasis pod with them. "I've got it" He grabbed hold of the pod and pulled it further in.

"A stasis pod?" said Ratchet "What is this doing here?"

"The Decepticons were trying to take it" replied Arcee "I think that implies that it's of importance" Ratchet walked over to the pod and had a look of stun upon seeing what lay inside.

"What's wrong?" asked Bumblebee.

"Get it to the med-bay, quickly" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile in the Nemesis_

Starscream sat upon Megatron's throne with a look of distain at Barricade who stood before him.

"So what you're saying is that you got the other four, but failed to get the leader!" snarled Starscream.

"It wasn't my fault" said Barricade "The Autobots showed up and made things difficult; but I told the Vehicons to—"

"A mistake you shouldn't have made" snapped Starscream.

"I got reinforcements; but by then, the Autobots had gone" said Barricade.

"Because you let them get away!" snapped Starscream "Without their leader, the group is incomplete. If the reports are true, these are no mere Autobots; with them under our control, we could destroy the Autobots in a matter of seconds! But you still got most of them; that should count as an accomplishment. You are dismissed" Barricade bowed and walked off. "How is the setup going?"

"We're unfreezing them now" replied a Vehicon.

"Make sure they stay unconscious" said Starscream "I've seen the damage that a single one of them could do; just imagine what four of them could do. Once they're under our control, we will crush the Autobots in a single blow; something that Lord Megatron could never do"

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

Scrapper walked into the room where Megatron lay. Two other Decepticons with green and purple color schemes stood there doing work on reconstructing the Decepticon leader.

"How is the progress going?" asked Scrapper.

"We have made progressions cosmetically" said Hightower (one of the Decepticons) "It's fine work, if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, there have been no current signs of regaining consciousness"

"Continue it to completion" said Scrapper "But we must take our time. Our leader would not like to walk freely but weakened"

"Given time, I could make him even greater than he was before" said Hightower "So how are our relations with your contact on the outside?"

"We have good news" replied Scrapper "There has been a recent escape of Decepticon prisoners on this planet. If convinced right, they could make good accomplices"

"That's good-good-good news, right?" said Mixmaster (the other Decepticon).

"It is indeed" said Scrapper "Given our leaders current state, our best advantage at the moment is our secrecy. If Starscream found out our location; he would have Megatron killed, and we would be executed for this"

"Good thing he doesn't know then" said Hightower.

"Yes, it is" said Scrapper.

 _Meanwhile_

"Together now!" said Ratchet as he, Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack pushed the pod into the med-bay.

"Man, this is one heavy pod" said Bulkhead.

"What's going on?" said Prowl as he entered.

"We found this aboard a crashed Autobot ship" replied Arcee "The Decepticons were trying to take it"

"Any reason why they'd want it?" asked Prowl.

"It does have someone inside it" replied Arcee. Prowl walked up to the pod and looked at the Autobot inside it.

"I don't believe it" said Prowl "That's Grimlock"

"Grimlock, are you sure?" asked Ratchet.

"I would recognize that pariah anywhere" replied Prowl.

"Who's Grimlock?" asked Bumblebee.

"You mean you've never heard of him?" said Prowl "Well, it wasn't something all that known to all the Autobots. Grimlock was an Autobot warrior during the war on Cybertron; but to be honest, I sometimes wonder why he picked our side at all. He had no mercy for his enemies and he never obeyed anyone's commands. Not Optimus, not the Elite Guard, no one. He was the leader of a team, the Lightning Strike Coalition"

"What kind of name is that?" said Bulkhead.

"How should I know; he came up with the name" said Prowl "Anyways, all of them followed Grimlock's orders and no one else's. They would take down any Decepticon base or outpost of their choosing, without authorization or assistance from any other Autobot; ironically, that would pay its price eventually"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Arcee.

"Near the end of the war, they were on an expedition on the outskirts of Kaon" replied Prowl "Optimus had found out about this and made numerous attempts to contact them; but Grimlock was too stubborn to attempt his mistake, so he ignored it. After they ventured in far enough, we lost sight of their life signals, so Optimus sent a search party out to find them; but there was no sign of them anywhere. He presumed them to be dead, but it seems that wasn't the case"

"Wait, how many were in his team?" asked Bumblebee.

"About five altogether, including Grimlock" replied Prowl.

"There were four missing pods in the ship" said Bumblebee "Do you think—"

"Yes, it's very likely that the Decepticons have taken them" replied Prowl "But this is confusing, why would Starscream want five out-of-control Autobots; if they wouldn't listen to Optimus, what use would he have for them?"

"Whatever it is, it's a good thing we've got one of them" said Wheeljack.

"No one is to touch the pod without supervision from Optimus" said Prowl "The last thing we need is Grimlock going across this planet and crushing everything in his path"

"Speaking of which, it's my turn to pick up Melody" said Bumblebee "I better get there now" He ran out of the room.

"Turn?" said Prowl.

"Yeah; since you gave us both the job of protecting her, we decided to form a system where we pick her up each day" said Arcee. Prowl raised an eyebrow.

"I leave for a few days and already you're making a system" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus, Jazz, and Ironhide hid out of sight behind a large rock above a large chasm. Down below, a bunch of Vehicons mined for energon.

"There they are" said Ironhide "Time to kick some tailpipe!"

"Wait, Ironhide" said Optimus. He pointed over at a Vehicon standing up on a ledge. "They have placed a sentry to look out for intruders. If we move without precaution, they will call for help and we'll be outnumbered"

"Which means we'll move quietly" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Melody waited at the side of her school when Bumblebee pulled up.

"What took you?" asked Melody whilst getting in.

"Had a little predicament" said Bumblebee "Arcee and I found an Autobot ship in Africa, but not before the Decepticons did"

"What was inside it?" asked Melody.

"We found a large pod that the Decepticons were trying to take away" replied Bumblebee "But we got it off them and found that it held an Autobot inside. We took it back to base and placed it in med-bay when Prowl came in and told us who it was. Apparently, his name's Grimlock and he was rogue Autobot during the war"

"So not much of a chance of joining the team?" said Melody.

"Doesn't seem that way" replied Bumblebee "I mean; I haven't met him yet, but from what Prowl says he could be trouble"

 _Meanwhile_

Wheeljack looked over Grimlock's pod.

"Be careful with that thing" said Ratchet "You heard what Prowl said"

"I'm just looking" said Wheeljack.

"Well; look with your optics, not your hands" said Ratchet "The last thing we need is Grimlock on the loose, just imagine what he'd think when he saw a Human for the first time"

"But still; it's Grimlock, he's a war hero" said Wheeljack.

"Too bad he had no regards for anyone else" said Ratchet.

"I wouldn't say that's true" said Wheeljack "I mean; if he had no morals whatsoever, why would he join the Autobots?"

"Who knows what reasons he had" said Ratchet "But we can't trust him"

"Reanimation Process: Initializing" said the pod "Pod will open in 10…9…8…"

"What did you do?!" exclaimed Ratchet.

"I didn't do anything!" said Wheeljack "I didn't even touch the damn thing?"

"…7…6…5…" said the pod. Ratchet ran over to the pod.

"Is there any way to shut it off?" said Ratchet.

"You know the thing with stasis pods" said Wheeljack "Once they get going, you can't stop them"

"…4…3…2…" said the pod.

"We have to do something" said Ratchet.

"…1…" said the pod.

"Oh scrap!" said Wheeljack. He and Ratchet stepped back as the pod opened and steam flew out. A large metal hand rose up and pulled an even larger body up with it.

"Me…Grimlock..." said Grimlock.

"Just stay back" said Wheeljack quietly "If we can get out of here quick enough, he might not—" Suddenly, Grimlock grabbed him by the neck to hold him up.

"Where am I?!" snarled Grimlock. Wheeljack didn't reply. "WHERE!?" He threw Wheeljack across the room, got himself up, and stomped out of the med-bay.

"That didn't go as well as I wanted to" said Wheeljack.

"Everyone, this is Ratchet" said Ratchet into his comlink "Bad news; Grimlock's out and he's heading towards the bridge"

 _Meanwhile_

"That doesn't sound good" said Bulkhead.

"At least we have a location" said Arcee "If he's moving out of the med-bay, then he'll just come straight here" They ran over to the doorway which led to the med-bay, turned their hands into their blasters, and pointed them at the doorway.

 _Meanwhile_

Ratchet quietly followed Grimlock as he stomped down the hallway. It was then that Wheeljack with a large harpoon gun-like device.

"What'd I miss?" said Wheeljack quietly.

"Where were you?" asked Ratchet quietly.

"I had to go to my workshop to pick up this" replied Wheeljack quietly.

"Wheeljack, this seriously isn't the time to test your inventions" said Ratchet quietly.

"Don't worry; I've tested this one over and over again, it's full proof" said Wheeljack quietly "All I need to do is aim properly and shoot and he'll be stunned before he hits the ground" He leapt out and aimed his device at Grimlock. "At hell's heart, I shoot at thee!" He blasted the harpoon and cable at Grimlock's back, which released a large volt of electricity, making the large Autobot roar out in pain. However; instead of being stunned, he merely turned around, and ripped the harpoon from his back, before using the cable to pull Wheeljack towards him. "Woah!" He punched Wheeljack in the jaw and sent him flying back.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" snarled Grimlock. Suddenly, he transformed into a large mechanical Tyrannosaurus Rex and let out a loud ear-splitting roar.

"By the AllSpark!" said Wheeljack. Grimlock turned and ran down the hallway. "He couldn't do that before, right?"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee pulled up and transformed, with Melody getting out.

"What's happening?" asked Bumblebee.

"Grimlock got out, and he's heading this way" replied Arcee. All of their attention was turned to the sound of Grimlock's roar, which was soon followed by his appearance down the corridor.

"What is that?" said Bulkhead. Melody stepped forward to have a look.

"That's some kind of robot dinosaur" said Melody.

"What's a dinosaur?" said Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead simultaneously.

"Something I never thought I'd see alive" said Melody. Grimlock roared again and charged forward.

"Melody, get behind us and stay hidden" said Bumblebee. Melody stepped behind a crate. Bumblebee turned his hands into his blasters and pointed them at Grimlock, who snarled viciously in response.

"Woah, hold it!" said Wheeljack whilst sliding up. Grimlock turned towards him and growled. "Grimlock, listen; we're Autobots, we don't mean to harm you" Grimlock simply grunted. Wheeljack looked over at Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead. "Guys, put the guns away"

"I don't think that's a good idea right now" said Bumblebee.

"Neither is pointing blasters at him" said Wheeljack "We need to show him that we don't want to fight" Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead turned their blasters back into their hands and stepped back.

"How did you know that would work?" asked Ratchet.

"You know, just a wild guess" replied Wheeljack. Noticing the Autobot insignias on each of them, Grimlock transformed.

"You're Autobots" said Grimlock "What is this place?"

"You're onboard the _Ark_ " replied Ratchet.

" _Ark_?" said Grimlock "What kind of name is that? How did I come here?"

"We found a crashed ship" replied Ratchet.

"Our ship?" said Grimlock "The _Darkstar_?"

"What were you doing in stasis?" asked Wheeljack.

"The _Darkstar_ was damaged" replied Grimlock "This was the closest system so my team and I stopped here for repairs; but we found out too late that we were too damaged to land properly. Knowing that there was nothing we could do, we entered the stasis pods for protection. We pre-set a timer on them so we could get out after the crash"

"That must have been why the pod opened automatically" said Wheeljack.

"Who's in command here?" asked Grimlock

"That would Optimus; Optimus Prime" replied Wheeljack.

"Prime!" snarled Grimlock "Should've known he would eventually run and hide on another planet like the coward he is!"

"Don't say that about Optimus!" said Bulkhead.

"And why shouldn't I?" said Grimlock "He's too soft; if he at least had the guts to finish Megatron off, we could've ended that war long ago. But look at what happened to Cybertron"

"What happened to Cybertron was because of Megatron's ambitions and megalomania" said Ratchet. Melody kept quiet and listened carefully from behind the crate. "Optimus was trying to help all of us"

"And look where it got us!" said Grimlock "Perhaps you weren't there, but things have gotten worse. Before my team and I left the planet, the Decepticons were gaining more power. The planet may have been ashes, but they were king of it. If I was in charge from the start, things would've been much different"

"Yes, they would've" said Prowl as he entered "Because everyone would be dead"

"I should have known Optimus's lackey would be here as well" said Grimlock "So where is the lead dog, anyway?"

"He's out on a mission to claim energon" replied Prowl. Grimlock smirked.

"Ha; poetic, isn't it?" smirked Grimlock "The once great and mighty Optimus Prime reduced to crawling around for energon"

"He's a better leader than you'll ever be" said Prowl "At least he thinks about things before he does them, unlike you. You've only made things harder for everyone else" Grimlock growled.

"I have no time for this!" huffed Grimlock "Where are the others? The rest of my team were in those pods as well; Slug, Sludge, Snarl, and Swoop. Where are they?"

"We didn't find them aboard the ship" replied Arcee "But there were four missing pods; we think the Decepticons took them"

"And you didn't think of getting them back?!" snarled Grimlock.

"The _Nemesis_ may still be crashed, but it's heavily-fortified and we can't detect anyone inside" said Prowl "A rescue mission would require precision" Grimlock clenched his sharp teeth.

"Do you think that matters?!" snarled Grimlock. He turned to exit, but got a brief glimpse of Melody. "What is that?" He leaned down and grabbed Melody before she could escape. "I assume you're a native. Pitiful little bug"

"Let her go!" said Bumblebee whilst pointing a blaster at Grimlock, who merely ignored it and turned back to Melody.

"Well; say something, or are you too primitive for that?" said Grimlock.

"So you're Grimlock?" said Melody "I thought you'd be taller"

"You are primitive" said Grimlock "And stupid"

"Put her down gently!" said Arcee whilst pointing a blaster at Grimlock.

"You look weak" said Grimlock "I wonder what would happen if I gave you a little squeeze"

"Do you think you're the first one to threaten me?" said Melody "I'm not afraid of you" Grimlock merely smirked and placed her down gently.

"You may have a weak outside, but I admire you're spirit" said Grimlock "I'm guessing few of your race does" He turned to walk over to the exit.

"What are you doing?" said Prowl whilst walking in front of him.

"Out of my way, boy scout" said Grimlock "I'm going to find my team"

"Without help, you won't get far" said Prowl.

"I don't need anyone's help, especially yours" said Grimlock "I'm finding my team, dead or alive; whether you like it or not, even if I have to rip Megatron in half myself!" He pushed Prowl out of the way, grabbed hold of the doors, ripped them wide open, and finally pulled them shut behind him. Prowl got himself up and tried to walk through the door, but found that it wouldn't open.

"That slam must have really messed up the doors" said Prowl. Ratchet walked over to the doors and examined them.

"Should take a little while, but we can get it fixed" said Ratchet.

"That's not the problem" said Prowl "If the Decepticons spot Grimlock exiting the mountain, it could lead them to us. Not only that; but Grimlock doesn't know our laws, although he wouldn't care about them if he did. If he goes anywhere near humanity, he cause great damage and casualties, not to mention making our secret public. Ratchet, Wheeljack; repair the doors. As for the rest of you, I'll send you out through the ground bridge to stop him. I'll contact Agent Bluestone of the events and meet you there"

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock smashed his way out of the mountain and stomped out. As he walked, he began to remember the fateful day in which everything changed for him and his team forever.

 _Grimlock's flashback_

Grimlock looked out on the top of a hill overlooking the Decepticon capital of Kaon.

"Swoop, do you have a visual?" asked Grimlock into his comlink.

"I'm all optics" replied a voice out of his comlink.

"Is everyone else in position?" asked Grimlock.

"I'm ready" said Slug's voice.

"On it" said Snarl's voice.

"As you planned" said Sludge's voice.

"Then let us begin" said Grimlock. He transformed into a Cybertronian tank and rolled down the hill.

"Grimlock, I know it's not my place to question so late; but I'm not sure if this mission is the best idea at the moment" said Snarl "If the Cons find us, we're done for"

"And if they don't, we will have brought down their wall" said Grimlock "We just need to execute the plan properly"

"But Prime warned us" said Snarl.

"Why would you care what he thinks?" said Grimlock "He talks big but doesn't get results, but we do. As far as I'm concerned, we're the only reason the Cons haven't won yet" When he reached the bottom of the hill, he transformed and walked up to the wall where he placed a bomb on it. "I've placed my bomb; how are the rest of you doing?"

"I'm almost there" said Slug "I just need to…wait, something's happening. Grimlock, they've found me! You have to get out, now!"

"Slug?" said Grimlock "SLUG!" Hearing the sound of incoming jets, he looked up into the sky to see several Vehicon jets (with the form of Cybertronian jets) flying towards him before transforming and landing around him with their blasters drawn and ready to fire. "This is what Megatron sends against me? Bad idea!" He pulled out a large flaming sword and swung towards the Vehicons, slicing down any that got in his path, until finishing them all up. "Light weights!" At that moment, a powerful energy bolt hit Grimlock in the back, knocking him to the ground. As he slowly began to lose consciousness, he got a brief glimpse of a silhouetted humanoid figure walking towards him.

 _Later_

Grimlock awoke beneath a crashed Decepticon gunship. He slowly pulled himself up, soon realizing that he was far away from Kaon now. He also noticed that his battle mask was retracted over. As he began regaining consciousness, he began to feel a pain in his head.

"My head…" said Grimlock "Hard…to…think…"

"Freeze, Autobot!" said a voice. Three Vehicons stood before him, all with their blasters pointed at him. "Don't move or we'll shoot!" Grimlock slowly began walking up to them. "I said freeze!" Grimlock didn't comply. The Vehicon shoot at him through the stomach, but there was little effect. "What the!?" Grimlock grabbed his arm. "What are you?!"

"Leave…me…alone!" snarled Grimlock. The Vehicon prepared to shoot, but Grimlock pulled his blaster up at his head, causing him to shoot himself. The other two Vehicons began shooting at him, but he roared furiously and transformed into his dinosaur form.

"What kind of Autobot is this?!" exclaimed a Vehicon before being swatted away by his tail. The remaining Vehicon attempted to run, but Grimlock grabbed him in his mouth and crushed him. He finally transformed back and fell to his knees. He looked over at the devastation around him.

"Did…Did I do this?" said Grimlock to himself. He looked down into the pool of energon in front of him and retracted his battle mask, revealing his now sharp teeth. "By the AllSpark, what have I become?"

 _Back to reality_

As Grimlock walked across the plains, far away from the mountain; unaware that Laserbeak watched him from the sky.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream and Slipstream sat at a small table playing a game of chess. Starscream moved a pawn piece forward.

"Interesting move" said Slipstream. She moved a knight piece forward, taking the pawn. Starscream moved a bishop forward. At that moment, Soundwave walked up to them.

"Laserbeak has discovered something on his patrol" said Soundwave. He retracted his mask and showed Laserbeak's view of Grimlock.

"I don't believe it!" said Starscream "We've finally found Grimlock"

"What were the chances of that?" said Slipstream.

"We must move at once" said Starscream "Time to complete the set"

 _Meanwhile_

"Jazz, are you in position?" asked Optimus quietly into his comlink.

"You bet, Optimus" said Jazz quietly into his comlink. He stood on the other side of the chasm, quietly sneaking up upon the Vehicon sentry. "Tell me when?"

"Move now" replied Optimus quietly. Jazz leapt up onto the Vehicon's back, punched it out, leapt off, and pulled it down carefully.

"Sentry's down" said Jazz.

"Our move, Ironhide" said Optimus quietly. He and Ironhide started walking towards the chasm; but as they moved forward, a large shield formed around them and trapped them.

"What in blazers is this?" said Ironhide. Optimus looked down at the crushed mine beneath their feet.

"They must have been prepared for us" said Optimus "The area is surrounded by shielding mines. Jazz, get to cover, before any Decepticons spot you"

"Got it" said Jazz out of his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock picked up a stone on the ground and crushed it. He then walked over to a small tree and ripped it out (causing the birds on it to fly away).

"Such a fragile world" said Grimlock "Only Prime would waste his time on this orb"

"Of course he would" said a voice. Grimlock turned around to see Starscream walking up to him. "Hello Grimlock"

"Starscream!" snarled Grimlock whilst pulling out his sword "What would a runt like you be doing here?"

"Not a practically warm welcome" said Starscream.

"Still sucking up to Megatron, or have you found some other megalomaniac to latch onto?" said Grimlock.

"Megatron is no more" said Starscream "I am leader of the Decepticons now"

"You?" said Grimlock "Don't tell me that Megatron's lackeys willingly allowed you?"

"Charming, but we are going away from what's important" said Starscream "I understand that the late Lord Megatron gave you multiple invitations to join our faction—"

"And I told him to get lost each time" said Grimlock "I don't follow tyrants"

"I understand that" said Starscream "But you must realize that things have changed. Since I am in charge now, I ask for your assistance" Grimlock burst out in laughter.

"You can't be serious!" laughed Grimlock "Megatron was at least strong. But you…you're a worm, a backstabber; you follow the leaders with the bigger guns in hopes to overthrow them. And you're so stupid that you think that makes you powerful"

"I thought you'd say that" said Starscream "But I have something for you; you may or may not be aware that the rest of your team is nowhere to be found" Grimlock's expression started turning stern. "Since you were in stasis, you don't know the full story; but I do. I sent my Decepticons to raid your ship and there was much that they retrieved, most notably were four stasis pods. Stasis pods that held an Autobot in each"

"What did you do to them!?" snarled Grimlock whilst pointing his sword at Starscream.

"Don't worry; they're safe…for now" replied Starscream "They are safely aboard my ship. All you need to do is come with me, and you'll be reunited with them. That's all that I want"

"How about I crush you until you beg?" said Grimlock. Starscream sighed.

"I tried reasoning with you" said Starscream "Oh well"

"Tell me where they are before I cut you open!" snarled Grimlock. Suddenly, he felt a painful sensation in his head, causing him to hold it in pain. Within the pain, he could make out a faint voice that was both chilling and whispery.

" _Listen to my every word and obey me…_

 _You will obey me…"_

"What's happening?!" snarled Grimlock.

"I'm merely ensuring your loyalty" said Starscream "Just give it a few minutes, and the blank page which is your mind will be written upon" At that moment, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead arrived.

"Grimlock?" said Bulkhead "What's happened to you?"

"He'll be fine" said Starscream "You should be more worried about yourselves"

"Not a chance, Screamer!" said Bumblebee "Back away from Grimlock right now"

"I think not" said Starscream. At that moment, Grimlock stood up catatonically. "Tell me, Grimlock; where do your loyalties lie, with this rabble or with me?"

"With you, Lord Starscream" said Grimlock, his optics now bright violet. Starscream grinned. "Good…Now destroy them!" Grimlock turned around and swung his sword forward.

"Oh scrap!" said Arcee.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz watched from behind a large rock as a group of Vehicons surrounded Optimus and Ironhide.

"Breakaway, this is Jazz; do you see this?" said Jazz quietly into his comlink.

"Yes, and it's not good" said Breakaway out of his comlink "I only just arrived a minute ago, and look what's happened"

"These Cons must have been prepared for us this whole time" said Jazz quietly "I've seen these types of mines before; they're really expensive and hard to find, they've really gone all out on this one"

"Well, you're second-in-command; what are your orders?" said Breakaway. Jazz peered out further.

"I have an idea, and it requires something the Vehicons don't know about" said Jazz "You. Now, listen carefully…"

"I'll contact our commander" said the Vehicon leader "The rest of you will guard Prime"

"Shouldn't we destroy them now?" asked a Vehicon "Wouldn't it be better to end Prime as quickly as possible?"

"Our commander wants to destroy the Autobot leader himself" said the Vehicon leader "We must obey his orders"

"You can tell Starscream that he won't break the Autobots that easy!" said Ironhide.

"Who said anything about Starscream?" said the Vehicon leader.

"But he's the Decepticon leader" said Ironhide.

"That is true" said the Vehicon leader "But we are not taking orders from him"

"Who are you working for?" asked Optimus.

"That is not for you to know just yet" replied the Vehicon leader. Suddenly, Breakaway flew down and started shooting at the Vehicons. "Another Autobot; fire!" The Vehicons began shooting at Breakaway who swerved away from the shots. Jazz meanwhile crept up from behind.

"This your plan?" said Ironhide.

"You bet" said Jazz.

"Jazz, do you know how to get us out of here?" asked Optimus.

"I've encountered these mines before" replied Jazz "If I'm remembering correctly; they'll eventually short out, in about a few hours"

"That's good to know" said Ironhide sarcastically.

"But they can short out quicker if exposed to enough damage" said Jazz. He turned his hand into a blaster. "Let's see if this works" He began shooting. One of the Vehicons spotted them and turned his blaster towards them, only to get shot by Jazz. Eventually, the shield burned out, freeing Optimus and Ironhide who helped Breakaway with shooting down the Vehicons. The Vehicon leader, seeing no way to fight back, transformed and drove off.

"Commander Soundwave, requesting a ground bridge" said the Vehicon leader. A ground bridge appeared in front of it and it escaped.

"Got all of 'em; except that one" said Jazz.

"He may come back with reinforcements" said Optimus "Perhaps more than we can handle"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Ironhide "Let get as much energon as we can while we still have time"

"Mind your step, there's still some of those mines about" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock grabbed Bumblebee by the arm and threw him away. Arcee ran up to him shooting, but Grimlock retracted out an arm-mounted double-barrel blaster and shot her away.

"Arcee!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He ran over to help her up. "You good?"

"Yeah" replied Arcee "Just a little blasted" At that moment, Grimlock stomped up to them and raised his sword, ready to strike them both down. Bumblebee turned his hand into his blaster and pointed it at him. Suddenly, just as Grimlock swung down, Bulkhead swooped in and grabbed ahold of the sword's blade. As he desperately held it back, energon began to bleed from his hands. Grimlock swiftly pulled back his sword and swung it at Bulkhead, who got out of the way quickly.

"Bulkhead to Prowl, we need you to get here right now" said Bulkhead into his comlink "Starscream's done something to Grimlock; he's gone berserk and he's trying to kill us"

"I'm on my way" said Prowl out of his comlink "Can you hold up until I arrive?"

"I'll certainly try" said Bulkhead. He turned his hands into his maces and charged at Grimlock, only for Grimlock to grab his wrists and use them to pull him to the ground. Bulkhead struggled free and rolled back; turning his hands into his blasters, he started shooting at Grimlock who retracted a pair of wrist-mounted double-barreled blasters and shot back. Bumblebee leapt onto Grimlock's back and covered his optics; but the large Autobot threw himself onto his back, crushing Bumblebee. As he got himself up, Arcee transformed, drove up to him, and slammed him across the face with her wheel. Grimlock transformed and roared viciously, grabbing Arcee with his foot and crushing her into the ground. Bulkhead snuck up behind Grimlock and leapt onto his tail, drawing his full attention. Bulkhead slowly crawled his way onto his back, but Grimlock swiftly rolled over to get him off. Bulkhead got himself up and turned his hands into his maces again, only for Grimlock to blast fire at him through his mouth. "Oh shoot!" He moved aside but got hit in the arm, slowing him down long enough for Grimlock to bite into him and pulled him to the ground. Suddenly, Prowl accelerated up to them, transformed, and threw three shurikens at Grimlock, which exploded and drove him back. Grimlock let out a roar and charged at Prowl, who jumped up and landed on his back.

"More Autobots makes little difference" said Starscream "You're facing a killing machine" Prowl ignored his taunts and carried on. He swung himself across Grimlock's neck pulled his mouth closed, only to get shaken off. Prowl landed on his feet just before Grimlock blasted fire at him again; as this happened, Prowl ducked down and slid underneath his legs. Grimlock turned around, charged at him, and lunged his jaws forward, only for Prowl to dodge all of it.

"So that's it, huh?" said Prowl "A lifetime of not listening to Optimus or Megatron and this is the result; taking orders from Starscream like some mere lackey?"

"He can't hear you" said Starscream "He's fully under my control" Grimlock roared again and lunged at Prowl, who dodged the bite.

"To think that you're the same Grimlock who pushed me aside only a few minutes ago" said Prowl "You came off as someone who wouldn't take orders from anyone, not even from a Prime. Yet here you are, doing the dirty work for the slimiest Cybertronian on this planet"

"Save your breath, Autobot" said Starscream.

"I once thought you were your own bot, but I guess you're just a mindless beast" said Prowl "So much for the big guy" Grimlock let out a large groan and transformed, holding his head in pain.

"Can't fight it…" groaned Grimlock.

"Give in to it, already!" snapped Starscream "It's what you were made for" Suddenly, Grimlock stood himself up, pulled out his sword, and turned towards him.

"NO ONE…CONTROLS…GRIMLOCK!" snarled Grimlock whilst lashing forward at Starscream, who quickly ducked beneath the shot.

"You know, I think I'll be fine without you" said Starscream whilst getting himself up.

"Tell me where my team is and I may consider making this less painful!" snarled Grimlock.

"You'll see them soon enough" said Starscream. He transformed and flew off.

"Come back and fight, you coward!" snarled Grimlock whilst retracting his battle mask.

"Enough!" said Prowl "Grimlock, you've won"

"Won?" said Grimlock "That little runt has my team! Do you really expect me to stand here and do nothing?"

"Actually; no, I wasn't expecting you to do that" said Prowl "You always go into these things without thinking, perhaps that's why you disappeared around Kaon after we specifically told you not to"

"We didn't need your authorization" said Grimlock "We had everything under control, except—"

"Except what, exactly?" said Prowl.

"Watch your tongue, boy scout!" snapped Grimlock.

"No, I'm serious" said Prowl "Just for once I'd like to see you try to justify your rash actions; it was probably also the reason you ended up here today"

"I couldn't control myself" said Grimlock "Something was forcing me to do that"

"Really, huh?" said Prowl.

"Easy, Prowl" said a voice. Everyone turned their heads around to see Optimus, Ironhide, and Jazz walking up to them.

"Well, well; never thought I'd see you again" said Ironhide.

"Feelings mutual, Ironhide" said Grimlock. He turned to Optimus. "Prime…"

"I'm glad to see you alive and well, Grimlock" said Optimus.

"Ha, cute" said Grimlock.

"Excuse me?" said Optimus.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is; it's funny how warmly you're acting, considering you abandoned me and my team" huffed Grimlock.

"After all these years, you still haven't learnt any manners" said Ironhide.

"Well; Prime's manners didn't win us the war on Cybertron, so I guess they're not essential" said Grimlock.

"Grimlock, I have regretted losing you ever since that fateful day" said Optimus "I sent search parties out for you, but we couldn't find any sign of you without going into Kaon"

"Because you were too spineless to go in" said Grimlock.

"No; I couldn't afford losing any more Autobots to the Decepticons" said Optimus.

"Didn't need your help anyway" said Grimlock "I got out of there myself"

"You do realize if you had listened to Optimus from the start, none of this would've happened" said Ironhide.

"We can go on like this all day; but right now, my team is being held captive by Starscream" said Grimlock. He turned to leave.

"Grimlock, Melody told me about your new…alternative mode" said Optimus.

"And what about it?" said Grimlock.

"I'm only curious because it is rare for transformers to take the form of beasts" said Optimus "What happened to you?"

"It was when we were at Kaon" said Grimlock "I had a plan to bring down the wall so it would be easier to get in. We had just planted the bombs and were ready to start the timer when I found myself surrounded by Decepticons. I destroyed every single one of them, but I was taken out by an energy blast. What happened afterwards was blur; all I could remember was the pain, and voices…when I woke up, I was outside Kaon with no memory of what had happened. And I found that I had this new alternative mode. After several days of wondering, I found the rest of my team; all of them now had new alternative modes. They were all different yet somehow similar to mine. We found the _Darkstar_ and left Cybertron. To think that I found them, only to lose them again"

"Grimlock, I'm sorry" said Optimus "For everything"

"Don't bother" said Grimlock "It's in the past now" He started to walk off.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Prowl.

"If you're smart, you'll already know" replied Grimlock "I'm going to get my team back"

"Grimlock—" said Optimus.

"Don't say anything else, Prime" said Grimlock "At this stage, words don't mean anything"

"Grimlock, the Decepticon flagship is currently crashed on Earth" said Optimus "But it is heavily guarded and you'll be undetectable to our scanners. But if you want to, we can transport you there"

"No disrespect, but I'm doing this myself" said Grimlock "They're my team, my responsibility. Your team is your responsibility. I know I haven't asked you much in the past for anything, but I would like permission to walk this planet freely"

"Permission granted" said Optimus "All I ask is that you stay away from any Human settlements"

"This planet's already fragile, I'd hate to see a fragile city" smirked Grimlock.

"Just to let you know; if Starscream found you, that would imply that the Decepticons spied on you this whole—" said Prowl.

"Don't worry, he met me here" said Grimlock.

"Grimlock; I hope you understand that under certain circumstances, I couldn't let you just walk out of this" said Optimus.

"Since when could you ever stop me from doing something that I wanted to do?" said Grimlock. He walked off into the sunset.

"So this is it; after everything he's done on both Cybertron and Earth, you just let him walk out of this?" said Prowl.

"Freedom is everyone's right" said Optimus "If we wish to uphold that truth, we must abide by it. Besides; whilst Grimlock may not be the most reliable Autobot, his presence could come of great help if need be"

"That depends on whether or not he wants to help" said Prowl.

"Optimus, I have news for you" said Ratchet out of Optimus's comlink "I observed the energon you brought back; and I've discovered that it was not from a natural growth, someone planted it there"

"This is further proof that the person who set this trap is not affiliated or loyal to Starscream" said Optimus "If there is another Decepticon on this planet who can command Starscream's Vehicons, we could be in more trouble than we realized"

 _Meanwhile_

The Vehicon leader walked down the hallways of the _Nemesis_ until entering a small room which Blackout stood in.

"What was the result of the trap?" asked Blackout.

"We had Optimus Prime captured, but the other Autobots outmaneuvered us" replied the Vehicon leader.

"How could that be possible?" asked Blackout.

"I am not sure" replied the Vehicon leader "It all happened so fast"

"Did you retrieve the mines?" asked Blackout.

"All of them" replied the Vehicon leader.

"And what of the energon?" asked Blackout.

"The Autobots got it all" replied the Vehicon leader.

"That is disappointing" said Blackout "But what about the other troops?"

"I am the only survivor" replied the Vehicon leader.

"Then that means that there is only one loose end left" said Blackout.

"And what is that?" asked the Vehicon leader. Blackout turned his hand into a blaster and pointed it at its face, shooting without a moment's hesitation.

"You" said Blackout.

 _Meanwhile_

"I am not sure how Grimlock could resist, but that hardly matters at this point" said Starscream. He entered a room where the other four members of Grimlock's team lay unconscious. All of them had a similar paint job to Grimlock and were different shapes and sizes. "We still have the others"

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : _Prime_ Wheeljack always did remind me more of Springer

 **Martin** : The Elite Guard is going to play a role later in the series.


	9. From the Shadows

**Author's note** : I'm sorry about the long delay; I was without internet for a time which slowed down everything and writer's block didn't help. Anyways, I finally got it out.

 _The Sahara_

Under the glistening shine of the full moon, a scorpion crept on a sand dune. After chasing after some insects, it reached the top of the dune and overlooked the _Nemesis_. Many Vehicons were doing work on repairing the ship as well as excavating it from the ground. A Vehicon who was pulling a piece of scrap metal collapsed from exhaustion.

"Get up and work!" snapped Starscream.

"But…But I can't…" breathed the Vehicon "It's too much for me to—"

"Get up!" snapped Starscream whilst pulling the Vehicon upright.

"Starscream, you've made us work all night" said Barricade "If we continue like this, none of us will have energy at daybreak"

"This is an order, Barricade" said Starscream "You will obey it, or face the consequences of disobeying a direct order!" Barricade frowned and continued on with the work.

"You may want to ease up on them" said Slipstream "They are the majority of our soldiers"

"As every day goes by, we're still no closer to destroying Optimus Prime and his Autobots" said Starscream "Not surprisingly, this coincided with the _Nemesis_ 's current condition; what use is a warship if we cannot move it? If we want to get the warship up and running as quick as possible, we'll need to double our efforts"

"The shield is still up and we still up and we're always on the lookout" said Slipstream "We can still hold out for some time. Besides; if you really want an edge on the Autobots, you may want to give our fellow Decepticons some respect. Prime gives his Autobots respect, and look at what they've accomplished"

"Autobots are too soft" said Starscream.

"There's no denying that" said Slipstream "However; if you want your troops to stand united, you have to at least try to show respect. We already outnumber the Autobots on this planet, but relations have been hard with many of them"

"There'll settle down and realize that I am the true leader once they see how foolish it is to roam like this on an Autobot colonized world" said Starscream "Believe me, they'll bow to me soon enough" From the shadows, two large red optics watched the _Nemesis_ carefully before quickly vanishing.

 **From the Shadows**

 _The Ark_

Bumblebee lay on the bed in his quarters looking at the roof thoughtfully. At that moment, Arcee entered.

"Hey; mind if I join you?" asked Arcee.

"Sure, feel free" replied Bumblebee. Arcee sat on the bed next to him.

"Having some downtime?" asked Arcee.

"Yep, better to enjoy the calm before the storm whilst it lasts" replied Bumblebee. Arcee couldn't help but show a smile.

"Not many bots would look positively on such a subject" said Arcee.

"In times like this, it's better to look for the light" said Bumblebee whilst sitting himself up. He let out a sigh. "I still can't believe Grimlock wouldn't help us. I thought we were all on the same side"

"Ever since the incident, I did some research about him on Teletraan" said Arcee "I can certainly see why Prowl said it was hard to believe he was on our side at all. The things that he did back on Cybertron were unbelievable"

"So why was he on our side in the first place?" asked Bumblebee.

"Apparently the one thing he hated more than following orders was dictators like Megatron" replied Arcee "That's why he became an Autobot. It still doesn't prevent Prowl from holding disdain"

"Wheeljack seems pretty fond of him though" said Bumblebee

"Yeah; but Wheeljack's into anything that can cause as much damage as Grimlock and the rest of his team" smirked Arcee.

"Well, that's Wheeljack for ya'" said Bumblebee. Arcee awkwardly looked over to him."

"Say Bee, I was just wondering whether you'd like to go for a drive sometime" said Arcee.

"You mean as a patrol?" asked Bumblebee.

"Um no…" replied Arcee "I meant as more…leisure kind of driving. It's been a pretty big week; first the breakout, now Grimlock, I just don't know what's going to come next. We may as well use this calm before the storm to spend some more time—"

"Hey Bee, Prowl wants ya'" said Wheeljack as he entered "Oh…I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Oh, no you're not" said Bumblebee "What does he want me for?"

"He just wants you" replied Wheeljack "It's probably something important, so it's better not to make him wait. You know how he gets"

"I'd better go see him then" said Bumblebee "Hey Arcee, remind me about that drive sometime. It sounds…It sounds nice"

"Will do, Bee" said Arcee. Bumblebee smiled and exited the room with Arcee breathing a sigh. Bumblebee walked into the main room where Prowl awaited for him.

"You wanted to see me?" said Bumblebee.

"Punctual; that's a good sign" said Prowl "Bumblebee, I'm sending you on a mission. You're to accompany Jazz to search a potential energon deposit. Be on the lookout for Decepticons, we have no idea whether they've unearthed it or not"

"Utmost discretion; got it!" said Bumblebee with a salute "When do we leave?"

"Now" said Prowl "The sooner the better" He walked over to the ground bridge and opened a ground bridge. Jazz started walking towards the portal when Prowl grabbed onto his arm to stop him. "Make sure everything stays under control"

"I'll do what I can to keep things from going bad, but isn't the whole point of this to give him more experience?" asked Jazz quietly.

"It is" replied Prowl quietly "But that doesn't mean we should take it lightly" Jazz nodded and walked through the portal with Bumblebee. They came out at a large cave. Jazz got out an energon detector device and looked at it.

"Should be this way" said Jazz. He and Bumblebee walked into the cave.

 _Meanwhile_

Two Vehicons walked down the hallways.

"I can't believe how much Starscream's been working us lately" said one of the Vehicons "I always knew he was nuts but never this much"

"I should have known from the moment he took command" said the other Vehicon "He was always power hungry and crazy; now that Megatron's gone and he's in charge, he's even crazier than before"

"He really expects us to dig out the ship overnight?" said the first Vehicon "Next time he gives us an order like that, I'm leaving; how about you?" There was no reply from the other Vehicon. He looked around to see that it had vanished. "I've got to tell someone"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream sat on Megatron's throne with Slipstream by his side.

"Commander Slipstream, something's happened" said the Vehicon out of Slipstream's comlink "I was j—" He cut off.

"Hello?" said Slipstream into her comlink "Soldier, do you respond?" There was still no response. "Looks like we may have an intruder aboard" From the ceiling, a pair of red optics looked down on them from the shadows.

"Soundwave, alert all aboard the ship" said Starscream "I want this intruder caught and brought before me"

"As you command" said Soundwave "Attention, all Decepticons; an unknown intruder is believed to be aboard the ship. Stay alert and stun anything suspicious and keep a watch of anything vital to the ship's workings"

"No one, neither Autobot nor Decepticon, enters this ship without my permission!" snapped Starscream. An arm arose from the shadows and aimed at Starscream. "Whoever this intruder is, they've made a lot of effort just to—" Suddenly, a dart shot out of the arm's wrist and landed in Starscream's neck, who immediately pulled it out upon realizing it. "What is this?!"

"The intruder, Starscream" said a voice. Starscream bared his teeth.

"Show yourself!" snapped Starscream. The barer of the arm leapt out and landed in front of the throne, revealing himself to be the mysterious black Decepticon who escaped from Springer's ship.

"Hello, Starscream" said the Decepticon.

"Crankcase; that can't be you, you're—" said Starscream

"You left me for dead, yes" said Crankcase "But you failed to finish the job"

"You made a huge mistake coming here" said Starscream "This is my ship and my army. You are nothing but a rogue"

"Aren't you one to talk" said Crankcase "And you know all too well that I have more right to that thrown than you do"

"I was Megatron's second-in-command; therefore, I was next in line" said Starscream.

"I'm surprised he kept you around that long" said Crankcase "You were always after your own agenda which would only derail everything else"

"That's not what matters" said Starscream "I'm leader and you are not, there's nothing you can do about that. I hold all the cards"

"So it would seem" said Crankcase "Except for the poison that is now coursing through your veins"

"What poison?" said Starscream.

"That dart I hit you with contained a toxin that will kill you in a matter of hours" replied Crankcase.

"You're lying!" snapped Starscream.

"Is that a risk you're willing to take?" said Crankcase "Just check yourself, you'll find it; you won't find a cure, of course, but you'll find it. Now; if you want to live, you'll listen carefully. I'll be arriving back here with the cure and I will give you it on one condition"

"And what would that be?" said Starscream.

"Give me the position of Decepticon leader" replied Crankcase.

"Do you really expect me to step down to a renegade like you?" snapped Starscream.

"No" replied Crankcase "But I'm giving you three hours to decide nonetheless. I'll be back within that time with the cure; and if you want it, you'll step down. And don't even think about taking it from me; if I detect any sign of betrayal, I'll destroy it" He extended his arm out and opened a ground bridge from a wrist mounted device and entered it. Starscream let out a groan.

"Get yourself to the medical bay" said Slipstream "We're not going to take any chances"

 _Meanwhile_

Crankcase entered a small dark room with the ground bridge disappearing behind him. A black Decepticon with red optics and four arms walked up to him.

"Was your mission successful?" asked the Decepticon.

"It was, Flatline" replied Crankcase "Starscream is now on death road and we're the only ones who can help him. Remind me, how long until it kills him"

"Only one solar cycle" replied Flatline "Hopefully he's smart enough"

"I know Starscream better than he knows himself" said Crankcase "There are only two things he cares about: power and himself. He would burn all of Cybertron to its core if he could be king of its ashes. He would willingly sacrifice any Decepticon life if it meant saving his; even if it was his own sister, he would probably only view it as an acceptable. That is why using it on him may be the most effective. Ironic, isn't it; now he has to choose between the two" Flatline picked up various vials of liquid and looked at them. "It was fortunate that we had all this equipment to help facilitate this. The gene modifiers and the miniature ground bridge have been some of my greatest assets"

"And you were lucky you found the stasis pod I was in and got me out" said Flatline "Still wish we could find the other half of my ship; cloning machines, those were my specialty"

"We'll worry about that later" said Crankcase "First I will take command of this planet's Decepticon forces"

"And then?" said Flatline.

"Then I will kill Optimus Prime" said Crankcase.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Jazz walked through the tunnels of the cave when they to a dead end.

"Scrap, a dead end" said Bumblebee "Not exactly what I was expecting, but it could've been worse" Jazz looked up.

"Maybe not" said Jazz "I can see a ledge at the top; if we can get up there, we can continue forward"

"Then how do we get up there?" asked Bumblebee.

"Easy" replied Jazz. He leapt up onto one of the walls and jumped back and forth until finally reaching the top.

"Well, that's great" said Bumblebee "Except, well, leaping's not exactly my specialty"

"I'm sure you can climb up just fine" said Jazz. Bumblebee looked up and down at the wall in front of him. He then walked up to it and placed his hand on it, feeling for any places to hold onto.

"Okay then" said Bumblebee. He grabbed hold and started climbing up to the top, one step at a time. However, just as he was about to reach the ledge, he lost grip and began falling off, only for Jazz to grab hold of his wrist and pull him up.

"You good, Bee?" asked Jazz.

"Yeah, I'm fine" replied Bumblebee. He turned around to have a look. "Good thing I could climb that wall, or we would've been stuck there. Wait a second; you seemed pretty confident I could climb that wall"

"A lot of walls can be climbed" said Jazz.

"Yeah, but you barely looked at that wall or…or even the ledge" said Bumblebee.

"Um…situational awareness" said Jazz "Anyways, that doesn't matter; let's move forth"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus entered the _Ark_ via a ground bridge.

"Prime" said Prowl.

"Prowl, Ratchet" said Optimus "Where are the others"

"I sent Bumblebee out on a mission with Jazz and Arcee's gone to pick Melody up" said Prowl "Wheeljack's in his lab; he seems to be trying to reconstruct that energon duplicator he broke days ago"

"There's one thing I've been wondering for some time now" said Optimus "It's several days since the breakout, and yet we've seen no new Decepticons"

"They're probably off looking for new alternative modes and trying to avoid us" said Ratchet "And I'd imagine some of them wouldn't follow Starscream so easily"

"None of that would've happened if Springer had just told us of them in the first place" said Prowl "The last thing we need is more Decepticons to worry about"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream lay on the medical bay bed, with Thundercracker and Soundwave examining the screens.

"It could've been just a threat" said Slipstream.

"I'm not taking my chances with Crankcase" said Starscream "He's always been trouble, ever since the war. You won't believe the things he'd do to reach his end"

"Sounds familiar?" smirked Slipstream.

"This is not funny" said Starscream "We can't have him roaming freely to his own devices"

"There is indeed a toxin in your veins and it is aggressive" said Soundwave "It is killing you slowly"

"How much time do I have?" asked Starscream.

"Unable to confirm" replied Soundwave "The toxin matches none on our database; which only makes finding a cure more difficult"

"At least he's coming back with a cure" said Thundercracker "Most who get poisoned don't have that luxury"

"Can't you see that this is his entire plan!" snapped Starscream "He forcing me into a position where I have to compromise. We don't even know if what he's going to bring back is a cure at all. I will not go along with it!"

"You're going to die" said Slipstream.

"Can't we just produce a cure?" said Starscream whilst ignoring Slipstream.

"The only way to produce a cure is to receive a sample of the toxin" said Soundwave "That would require time to retrieve. Time you may not have"

"Face it; it's your best hope" said Slipstream. Starscream stroked his chin.

"Not unless we grab ahold of that "cure"" said Starscream.

"And if you make a single move against him, he'll make sure you never touch it" said Slipstream "He's too dangerous" Starscream stroked his chin more.

"Perhaps it doesn't have to be me who makes the move" said Starscream "Soundwave, send all available troops across the planet. Tell them to bring back Autobots, alive"

 _A few minutes later in Carson City suburbs_

Melody and Bobby walked down the streets chatting.

"So anyways; now the frog's just bustling around in his pocket so he takes it out again and it says "Why won't kiss me?" then he replies "Because I'm a computer nerd, do you really wanna' be in my debt; besides, I think a talking frog is cool"" said Melody. The two of them chuckled.

"That's a good one" said Bobby "Say Melody, I've been meaning to ask; what are you doing afterschool nowadays?"

"Nothing much" replied Melody "Why do you ask?"

"It's just, I don't see you around much anymore" replied Bobby "It just seems like you disappeared when school's finished and then just reappear the next day"

"Well; I certainly don't just disappear" said Melody. Arcee peered around the corner and noticed Melody there.

"Hmm; wouldn't want to interrupt anything" smirked Arcee to herself.

"I mean, that's just crazy" said Melody. A Vehicon jet loomed quietly overhead and noticed the Autobot insignia on Arcee.

"Autobot found" said the Vehicon into its comlink "Sending you the coordinates"

"Good work" said Barricade out of its comlink "We're on our way now; keep an eye on them"

"Yes sir" said the Vehicon.

"I know, but still" said Bobby "I just want to know, is all"

"Well…" said Melody "Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure" said Bobby.

"What I'm about to tell you is going to seem unbelievable" said Melody "It all started a few days ago" At that moment, a pair of Vehicon cars came up behind Arcee.

"Scrap!" said Arcee. She quickly drove out and swooped to the side, making sure she stayed clear of Melody to not attract attention. Melody heard the screeching of tires behind her and quickly turned around to see what was happening.

"Oh no!" said Melody.

"What's wrong?" asked Bobby.

"Stay here, and try to be out of sight" replied Melody.

"What is it?" asked Bobby.

"Trust me, just stay hidden" replied Melody. She rushed off.

"Okay…" said Bobby.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Jazz continued through the cave.

"We've been here for almost an hour and there's still no sign of…well, anything" said Bumblebee.

"I'm sure it's just up ahead" said Jazz "That's what the detector says"

"Really?" said Bumblebee "Let me have a look at that" He grabbed the energon detector out of Jazz's hands and looked at it. "There's nothing on here. What's the meaning of this?" Jazz sighed.

"Alright, there is no energon" said Jazz "Prowl set this whole thing up. We found this cave a few days ago and went through it to get a good knowledge of the surroundings"

"For what?" asked Bumblebee.

"Prowl wanted to…well, test you" replied Jazz "He wanted to see how well you did without Arcee"

"Seriously?" said Bumblebee.

"Not my idea, not my idea!" said Jazz "Prowl came up with it all" Bumblebee sighed.

"Well, it's been a long day" said Bumblebee "I don't know why he did this, but I'll just find that out later. Let's get a ground bridge back. Hey Ratchet, came you bridge us back?" A ground bridge appeared in front of them. Bumblebee was about to step through when Jazz stopped him.

"Prowl did it because…because he felt you two were becoming too dependent on each other" said Jazz.

"Seriously?" said Bumblebee "We make a great team"

"I know you do" said Jazz "He just wanted to make sure you were prepared for when you were doing a mission without her"

"I suppose that makes sense, especially for him" said Bumblebee "Still; he could've at least told me about it beforehand" He stepped through the portal with Jazz following him.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee sped down the streets until Barricade drove up and blocked her, causing her to skid to a stop.

"Come quietly, Autobot" said Barricade.

"You think?" said Arcee. She zoomed around and headed off, but got blocked off by a pair of Vehicons in robot mode. Barricade and the other two Vehicons transformed and walked up to her. She transformed swiftly.

"Now, as I was saying, come quietly" said Barricade.

"Whatever you want, Barricade; you're not going to get it" said Arcee. She retracted out her arm blades and struck at him, but he countered each attack with his forearms.

"Reinforcements, now!" said Barricade into his comlink. Five more Vehicon cars drove up from behind Arcee and began shooting her until she was blown over. A pair of Vehicons walked up to her and grabbed her by the arms.

"Let me go!" snapped Arcee. Barricade walked up to her. "What do you want with me?"

"It's not me who wants you; it's Lord Starscream" said Barricade "And consider yourself lucky that he wants you alive. Now, I'll say it one more time…come quietly!" He punched Arcee out. "Soundwave, requesting ground bridge; we've got ourselves an Autobot" A ground bridge opened up and they walked through it, dragging the unconscious Arcee through with them. Melody watched from a corner.

"Now this is not good" said Melody. She got out her phone and called Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee answered the call.

"Hello?" said Bumblebee into his comlink.

"Bumblebee, it's me, Melody" said Melody out of his comlink "I've got bad news; the Cons have taken Arcee" A look of shock befell on Bumblebee's face

"Where are you?" asked Bumblebee.

"I'm just in the suburbs" replied Melody.

"Have the Cons seen you?" asked Bumblebee.

"I don't think so" replied Melody.

"Get home immediately" said Bumblebee "I'll pick you up from there"

"Understood" said Melody.

"The Cons have Arcee" said Bumblebee "I'll go retrieve Melody, but do everything you can to get her back"

"We'll handle it, Bee" said Jazz. Bumblebee transformed and drove off.

"Ratchet, check for her coordinates" said Optimus.

"They may have brought her aboard the _Nemesis_ so she may not come up" said Ratchet.

"Just do it to be certain" said Optimus. Ratchet checked Teletraan I for Arcee's coordinates.

"She's in the middle of the Sahara desert" said Ratchet.

"Right where we crashed that damn _Nemesis_ " said Wheeljack.

"Ground bridge us there" said Optimus.

"Optimus, we can't just go in blindly like that" said Prowl "No doubt they're keeping her outside the _Nemesis_ so her signal shows up, but they're making sure to bring us to their home turf to make it easier for them. It's obviously a trap, and we'll all lose if we run headlong into it"

"That may be so" said Optimus "But we cannot leave one of our own, even in a situation like this. We'll just have to be prepared" Ratchet opened a ground bridge. Optimus walked through it, followed by Jazz, Prowl, and Wheeljack, and came out in the Sahara desert. Optimus turned his hands into his ion blasters and the other three followed suit. "Be on the lookout for anything suspicious"

"Like, say, that" said Wheeljack. They all turned to where he what he was looking at. Starscream stood at the top of the hill, surrounded by several Vehicons, and holding Arcee. She wore a pair of cuffs and had a null-ray pointed at her neck.

"I see you got my invitation, Prime" said Starscream.

"Release her, Starscream" said Optimus.

"I would've done something more direct, but you would've just rejected it" said Starscream "I've got little time so I'll make it quick. I'm dying—"

"Really?" smirked Arcee "Shouldn't we be celebrating, then?" Starscream knocked her head with his null-ray.

"Why are you dying?" asked Prowl.

"I was hit by a toxic dart" replied Starscream "It was from an old friend, in fact, Prime—Crankcase"

"Crankcase is alive?" exclaimed Optimus.

"It takes more to kill him, it seems" said Starscream "He's promised me the cure if I step down, which I will not but neither will I accept death. That cure is my best hope"

"What do you need us for?" asked Jazz.

"Simple" replied Starscream "He's very skilled and will uncover any move I make against him before I've made it; but if a distraction is made, it may just become easier. I need you to cause that distraction"

"Do you really expect us to simply go through with that?" said Prowl.

"No; I expect Prime to go through with it" said Starscream "You won't risk the loss of your own at any cost, and we both know how much of a threat Crankcase possesses"

"I accept the offer" said Optimus.

"Excellent!" said Starscream "Now; he'll be here in about two hours and—"

"You didn't let me finish" said Optimus "When this is over, I expect you to let us all go" There was a short silence.

"You have my word, Prime" said Starscream "And remember; he's coming in about two hours and I want you to attack our base. Don't worry; I'll make sure my forces go easy on you, as long as you make it look believable. Soundwave, give us a ground bridge" A ground bridge appeared behind him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" said Jazz "Give us Arcee back"

"Now; I need some leverage, don't I?" said Starscream "Don't worry; if everything goes through as planned, you'll get her back" He walked through the ground bridge, followed by the Vehicons.

"Optimus, we can't trust him" said Prowl "He's using you because he knows that you'll live up to your end of the bargain, but he won't"

"I know, Prowl" said Optimus "But it may be our only hope at the moment"

 _Later_

"I feel bad about just waiting" said Bumblebee.

"It's all we can do at the moment" said Prowl "We'll get her back, but…well, we'll have to think it through first"

"But Starscream really is desperate" said Optimus "Not even he would joke about Crankcase"

"So who is Crankcase?" asked Melody.

"He was a Decepticon during the war on Cybertron, but he was always an enigma to both sides" replied Optimus "His allegiance was always shrouded in mystery, which is what made him so dangerous. What was even more dangerous were his skills; he was a fast learner in martial arts and a master of stealth and he made a good use of gadgets whenever available"

"Now he wants Megatron's thrown, and Starscream stands in his way" said Prowl.

"And Starscream has Arcee" said Bumblebee "Do you really think when this is over he's just going to give her back?"

"I trust Starscream as far as I can shoot him, but there's nothing we can do at the moment" said Prowl.

"I just don't feel good about this" said Bumblebee "We're risking our own for someone who'd betray us in an instant"

"Bumblebee, I know what you're feeling" said Optimus "You and her have a powerful bond from all the years in the war and it makes situations like this more difficult. But for now, you must stay calm and trust in all of us"

"But we need to be prepared nonetheless" said Prowl "If Starscream turns on us, he may just outnumber us" Optimus scratched his chin.

 _Later_

A small ground bridge appeared in front of Starscream's throne and Crankcase stepped out of it.

"I trust you have made your decision, Starscream" said Crankcase.

"I have" said Starscream "Do you have the cure?" Crankcase lifted out a small vile of liquid.

"I am a bot of my word" said Crankcase "Are you?" Starscream sighed, holding in his frustration that the Autobots hadn't arrived yet.

"Very well" sighed Starscream "In return for the cure, I shall step down as leader and give you the—"

"Lord Starscream, Autobots are attacking the base" said a Vehicon through Starscream's comlink "Optimus Prime is leading them" Crankcase's optics narrowed.

"Stop them!" snapped Starscream into his comlink "Soundwave, now!" Soundwave's tentacles shot out from the shadows and rocketed towards Crankcase, who quickly noticed and caught them in mid-air. The tentacles wrapped around his forearms in an attempt to weaken him down, but he tugged strongly and pulled the Decepticon out of the shadows.

"Laserbeak: Eject" said Soundwave "Operation: Interference" Laserbeak flew out of his chest and swooped down towards Crankcase and shot, only to get kicked to the ground and kicked towards Soundwave, knocking them both over.

"Aligning with the Autobots, Starscream" said Crankcase "It was a clever plan; but like most of your plans, you did not have the patience to execute properly"

"I'm warning you Crankcase; open a single ground bridge and I'll have you shot on sight!" snapped Starscream "Now hand over the cure while I'm still in a good mood"

"Really?" said Crankcase before crushing the vial, triggering a shocked response from Starscream.

"Seize him!" snapped Starscream. Vehicons surrounded Crankcase, pointing their blasters at him. "If he even tries to open a ground bridge, pull him to the ground" Crankcase looked around at the Vehicons surrounding him.

"You really bring yourself into these things, Starscream" said Crankcase. He zoomed forward and struck down a Vehicon, causing the other Vehicons to start shooting at him. He turned his hands into blasters and began shooting the Vehicons down whilst dodging the shots simultaneously until all the Vehicons were dead. He then opened a ground bridge and stepped towards it. Starscream stood up and turned is hands into his null-rays.

"Not so fast!" snapped Starscream "If I'm going down, you're going with me!" Crankcase ignored him and stepped forward again. "You coward!"

"I'm not retreating; unlike you, Starscream" said Crankcase "I'm merely going to kill Optimus Prime, something that you could never do. When this is all over, the Decepticons are going to question whether they want to continue serving a leader on death road who never came close to vanquishing the Autobots" Starscream bared his teeth and began shooting, but Crankcase leapt through the portal in the blink of an eye. Starscream let out an angered roar.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and the other Autobots fought the Vehicons outside the _Nemesis_.

"How long are we meant to keep this up, bossbot?" asked Wheeljack.

"Until the right moment, Wheeljack" replied Optimus. At that moment, a ground bridge appeared in front of them and Crankcase stepped out.

"Optimus Prime, I have not seen you in so long" said Crankcase.

"Crankcase" said Optimus.

"You were always too soft; whatever Starscream did, no doubt it worked" said Crankcase "Too bad he executed his plan poorly"

"Why have you come here, Crankcase?" asked Optimus.

"I have been away from this war for so long, I come back to it to discover that the Decepticons are only a shell of their former self" said Crankcase "An error I intend to fix"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream paced up and down in front of the throne, looking down at the shattered pieces of glass on the floor.

"No no no!" muttered Starscream "This can't be it! This can't be it!"

"Will you relax!" said Slipstream "You're only making the poison get worse. It's not the only to find a cure, remember?"

"Oh, of course" said Starscream "Except, wait a minute, it requires getting a sample of the poison!"

"It's not too much of a problem" said Slipstream "When he came in; I noticed he was wearing the same dart launcher from before so he may have a few extra darts just in case. He's going after Optimus Prime who is just outside right now; killing him isn't an easy feat, even Megatron couldn't do it from the millennia they spent fighting. If I can convince the Autobots to get ahold of the launcher, we may just be in the clear"

"And why would they do that?" snapped Starscream.

"We still hold one of their own hostage" said Slipstream "I'll be back as soon as I get the dart" She transformed and flew out of the room.

 _Meanwhile_

"The war has changed, Crankcase" said Optimus "Megatron is long gone—"

"Giving all the more reason to take command" said Crankcase. At that moment, Slipstream swooped down and transformed.

"What's going on here?" said Slipstream. Jazz rubbed his visor at her sight.

"Slipstream?" said Jazz.

"Jazz!" exclaimed Slipstream.

"I can't believe it; all these years on this planet and we've never crossed paths" said Jazz "I mean; the others have talked about you, but I've never seen you myself. How is that even possible?"

"Yes; how **is** that even possible?" said Slipstream whilst giving him a death glare.

"I must say; after all this time, you're still as beautiful as ever" smirked Jazz.

"Oh really?" said Slipstream "Maybe you should of consider that back on Cybertron!"

"Woah; break it up, you two, break it up!" said Wheeljack.

"Already have" said Slipstream.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" asked Wheeljack.

"Things turned bad" replied Slipstream "In short; the vial got destroyed and the only way to save him now is to make the cure ourselves, which requires getting a sample of the poison itself"

"I gave him a chance to live and he threw it away; the arrogance" said Crankcase.

"Then why are you still here?" asked Slipstream

"Starscream may not have stepped down; but with you dead, the Decepticons shall finally decide who their true leader is: a cowardly snake that waits for the right moment to bite or someone who truly believes in the cause and will do anything to make a difference" said Crankcase.

"You're not exactly the cleanest Cybertronian either, are you?" said Jazz.

"At least I intend to drive the Decepticons forward, unlike Starscream who only sees his own pride" said Crankcase "Optimus Prime, I challenge you to single combat. And if you back down, you'll be a coward with no honor"

"If Prime wins, will you give us the cure and leave us alone?" asked Slipstream.

"As long as it's what he requests, not you" replied Crankcase.

"I accept, under those requests" said Optimus.

"Very well" said Crankcase. His hands turned into blade claws. "Let us battle" Optimus retracted out his energon blades and clashed with Crankcase. At that moment, Slipstream grabbed Jazz and Wheeljack by the arms and pulled them out of sight.

"Boys, we've got work to do" said Slipstream "We're not taking our chances with this fight"

"What do you suggest?" asked Wheeljack.

"You see that dart launcher he has on his wrist; he used that to get the poison into Starscream in the first place" replied Slipstream "If we can get ahold of it, we may just find the right dart and use it to create a cure"

"You have no faith in Optimus to win this fight?" said Jazz.

"I'm sure he'll live up to his part, but I doubt Crankcase will" said Slipstream.

"Good point" said Wheeljack "But how are we supposed to…wait, I got it!"

"Oh no; this isn't going to be another half-baked invention that you've barely even tested yet but have full faith in nonetheless?" said Jazz. Wheeljack made a small gesture with his fingers.

"All I need is a quick stop at the _Ark_ " said Wheeljack "Ratchet, I need a quick ground bridge" A ground bridge appeared behind them and he leapt into it. Optimus drove Crankcase back, who did a summersault to get back to his feet. He then charged forward and leapt over Optimus, slashing across his chest in the process and kicking him forward with his feet. He then slashed forward again but Optimus grabbed his blade claw and swung him out of the way.

"You're too soft, Prime!" snarled Crankcase "Even when faced with losing everything, you still hold back!"

"We do not need to fight, Crankcase" said Optimus "Just give us the cure and we can part ways"

"You would willingly let that worm live?" said Crankcase "Wouldn't things be better for your Autobots without him?"

"Someone would only rise to take his place" replied Optimus.

"You're right" said Crankcase "Someone will take his place…" He lunged forward and slashed violently at Optimus. Optimus punched forward and sent Crankcase flying back, but he landed on his feet and charged forward again; this time sliding underneath Optimus, grabbing onto his ankles, and pulling him down.

"Optimus!" exclaimed Jazz. He stepped in to help but Slipstream stopped him.

"We need to wait until Wheeljack comes back" said Slipstream "If we screw everything up beforehand, he'll get away"

"So much for a Prime!" said Crankcase. He raised his claws and slashed down at Optimus, only for Optimus to quickly turn around and block the claws with his blades. Optimus then pushed the claws out of the way and pulled Crankcase over. Crankcase got to his feet again and snarled. At that moment, a ground bridge opened and Wheeljack came out.

"Have you got it?" asked Jazz.

"Right here!" said Wheeljack. He extended out his palm, showing five small metal balls.

"What are those?" asked Slipstream.

"I call 'em "microfliers"" replied Wheeljack "They're designed to grab onto things and move 'em around in the air. If I can just get 'em close enough without him knowing, we may just be able to snag ourselves some darts"

"How are you supposed to get them close?" asked Slipstream.

"That's what this is for" replied Wheeljack whilst pulling out a small remote.

"Have you fully tested them yet?" asked Jazz.

"Actually…not yet, that was on my "to do" list" replied Wheeljack "But I'm sure it can work just fine"

"And if he notices it, you'll fail" said Slipstream "You do realize that you've only got one chance at this?"

"I know, I know; just relax, I've got it" said Wheeljack. He used the remote to activate the microfliers, causing them to hover up. "Time to go in!" He sent the microfliers closer to Optimus and Crankcase and stopped them.

"Why aren't you going in further?" asked Slipstream.

"I just need him to be still enough for just one sec…" said Wheeljack.

"We may not have one sec" said Slipstream.

"Eh; the microfliers require finesse to land on a particular area and I can't do that whilst they're moving around like this" said Wheeljack.

"What are we supposed to do then?" asked Slipstream.

"All I need is for his forearms to be still long enough for me to land the microfliers on the dart launcher and pull it off" said Wheeljack.

"I've got this" said Jazz "Optimus, try to keep his arms still; and before you ask, I can't explain it at the moment"

"On it" said Optimus. He leapt back across the sand dunes. Crankcase charged at him, a wild bloodthirsty look in his optics. He slashed his claws towards Optimus, only for Optimus to catch him by the arms and hold them still.

"Perfect opportunity!" said Wheeljack. He moved his microfliers towards Crankcase and silently latched them onto his dart launcher just before he broke free from Optimus's grasp. "Now just add a little tug" The microfliers pulled until they had successfully.

"By the AllSpark!" said Crankcase. The dart launcher dropped to the ground and rolled down the hill. Jazz leapt for it, grabbed it, and rolled back.

"Got it!" said Jazz.

"Not for long!" said Crankcase. At that moment, a group of Vehicons being led by Barricade surrounded him. Starscream and Soundwave flew over and transformed.

"Surrender, Crankcase" said Optimus "You are outnumbered" Crankcase looked around at all who surrounded him.

"That may be" said Crankcase "But this isn't over just yet" He opened a ground bridge, transformed into a Renault Koleos emergency vehicle, and drove straight through it.

"He got away" said Jazz.

"He'll be dealt with eventually" said Starscream "Now give me that!" Slipstream snatched the dart launcher from Jazz's hands and handed it to Starscream. "Good. Now; seize them!" The Vehicons turned their blasters towards Optimus and the other Autobots.

"Hey, we just helped you out!" said Wheeljack.

"And did you really expect me to give away such an opportune moment?" said Starscream "I finally have you right where I want you"

"I had hoped you would have some sense of honor, Starscream" said Optimus.

"Honor is overrated" said Starscream "If you value the lives of your fellow Autobots, you will stand down and surrender"

"Not a chance, Screamer!" said a female voice. Starscream turned around to see Arcee standing there with Bumblebee and Prowl by her side.

"What!" exclaimed Starscream "How is this—"

"I never trusted you, Starscream" said Optimus "That's why I made sure we got Arcee out immediately without your notice"

"I never knew you had it in you" said Starscream "I'm almost impressed. Open fire!" The Vehicons began shooting.

"Autobots, retreat!" said Optimus. He and the other Autobots transformed and drove away from the Vehicons. "Ratchet, open a ground bridge!"

"On it, Optimus!" said Ratchet out of Optimus's comlink. A ground bridge appeared in front of the Autobots and they drove through it.

 _Later_

Arcee stood up from the medical bay bed after Ratchet was done scanning her.

"There's no severe damage" said Ratchet "It's fortunate they wanted you in one piece"

"As people keep saying" said Arcee. Bumblebee rushed to her side.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Bumblebee.

"I'm fine, Bee" replied Arcee "Though given the circumstances, I'm in no mood to play damsel-in-distress anytime soon" Bumblebee scratched the back of his head.

"Say…can I speak with you for a moment" said Bumblebee.

"Okay" said Arcee. The two of them walked out of the medical bay.

"You know how you were wondering whether I'd like to go for…well…" said Bumblebee.

"A drive?" said Arcee.

"Yeah, that" said Bumblebee.

"You want to do that now?" asked Arcee.

"Yeah!" said Bumblebee whilst grabbing her hand "I mean…it would nice to just clear my head and…spend some downtime with you, if you will" Arcee smiled.

"I'd be glad to" said Arcee. The two of them transformed and drove off.

"Well; there they go" said Jazz "You see, that's just one thing you could never get on their own; as a team, they're inseparable"

"That may be so; but what if there comes a time when one finds themselves without the other?" said Prowl.

"Sometimes you've just got to let something experience it for itself, Prowl" said Jazz "The illusion of control only hurts you more and makes it harder to be at peace. We were both taught that, remember?" A slight look of concern befell Prowl's face.

 _Meanwhile_

"You're just lucky we managed to find the right dart in there" said Thundercracker "If it wasn't there, you'd be as good as dead"

"That hardly matters" said Starscream "What matters is that we have a new enemy besides the Autobots. I will not have a rogue Decepticon out there plotting against me. As soon as we find out where he is hiding, I want him destroyed!"

"From what we've seen so far, he has access to experimental technology" said Slipstream "That only makes things worse" At that moment, Soundwave entered.

"Starscream, I have gone over and over the toxin and discovered something abnormal" said Soundwave "The toxin was a variation of cyber venom"

"Then why didn't the machines see it as cyber venom?" said Starscream.

"The sample was genetically altered and covered by layers and layers of change" replied Soundwave "Crankcase appears to have access to advanced mutation equipment"

 _Meanwhile_

"It is truly a shame that things didn't turn out as planned" said Flatline.

"It'll take time, but I'll eventually cut off that serpent's head" said Crankcase. He walked over to a doorway, whereupon Waspinator stomped down in his path.

"Dreadbot dare interrupt mistress!" snarled Waspinator. He growled savagely, green saliva dripping from his jaws.

"It's fine, Waspinator" said a voice "Let him in" Waspinator stepped out of the way and allowed Crankcase to walk through. The room was filled with computer screens and at its center sat a chair with several long metal polls sprouting out of it.

"The plan was unsuccessful" said Crankcase "As far as we know; both Starscream and Optimus Prime are still alive"

"No matter" said the voice "Where most see failure, others see opportunity. Starscream now knows that there are those who threaten his rule and will gradually become paranoid because of it"

"And what of Prime?" asked Crankcase.

"Optimus Prime is not without weakness" said the voice "As you may be aware; he cares about his allies, whether Autobot or not, very much…too much. He will not allow any of his kind to come to harm. If were to use it against him in a proper fashion, we can crush him" The chair turned around revealing the speaker to be Airachnid. "It's only a matter of time"

 **Author's note** : I would like to note that I've been having a little difficulty with writing Ratchet. I've been trying to add characteristics of _Prime_ Ratchet since he was my favorite version of the character; problem is that in my series Prowl takes the role of the cynical and authoritative Autobot who is hard to get along with. Some suggestions would be much appreciated.


	10. Triple Threats

_Antarctica_

The remains of the Antarctic outpost lay quiet and undisturbed as it was left. The rubble began to slowly press upwards until a large metal fist broke through. Lugnut pulled himself out and stumbled forward a few steps. After several moments of waddling around, he regained his footing and looked up at the sky.

"I'm coming back, Lord Megatron" said Lugnut. He transformed and flew off.

 **Triple Threats**

 _Mexico_

Jazz overlooked a hilltop and saw Vehicons surrounding the area. He looked back at Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead who were accompanying him.

"We've found the Cons, all right" said Jazz "And they're loaded" Jazz looked over and saw that they were drilling into a hillside.

"Seems they're looking for something" said Bulkhead.

"And knowing Starscream…" said Bumblebee.

"…it can't be good" said Arcee.

"If we go in all at once, they'll only scatter and make it difficult" said Jazz "We'll have to take this slowly"

"Wait; what's that sound?" said Bulkhead. Suddenly, a tan and purple Tornado IDS flew down towards them and started shooting at them.

"Incoming!" said Jazz whilst he and the others rolled out of the site. The jet released a missile at them which released ice around them.

"What is that thing?" said Bulkhead.

"And who uses ice as a weapon?" said Bumblebee. Barricade looked up at the commotion.

"Get the tablet out of here before the Autobots see it!" said Barricade "Cover the entrance!" The Vehicons ran to the entrance of the tunnel.

"Looks like they've got something important in there" said Bulkhead.

"On it!" said Bumblebee. He leapt over the hill, transformed, and drove towards the cave.

"Bee, we have to stick together!" said Jazz. The jet began firing at them again.

"We have to shoot this jet down" said Arcee.

"How; it isn't even flying straight" said Bulkhead. Arcee jumped up onto him, leapt off his shoulder, turned her hands into her blasters, and shot at the jet various times before being whacked out of the air by it and landing on the ground.

"That was some ride" said Arcee as she got herself up. The jet flew towards down and transformed into a Decepticon with a pointed pale blue face and red optics (his left one resembling a monocle).

"What the Devil was that?" said the Decepticon in a German accent. He looked over at Arcee. "Autobot" Suddenly, his face spun around and was replaced by a bright red one with a yellow visor. "Did…Did you just shoot me?! Oh; that was a mistake, my friend! No one shoots at Blitzwing!"

"Please; you can't fly straight, I doubt you could even shoot straight" smirked Arcee.

"Oh; so you wanna' go a few rounds, hmm?!" said Blitzwing "You wanna' go a few rounds with me?! Is that it?! Okay then; prepare to be obliterated!" He transformed into a double-barreled Challenger 2 and started shooting at her.

"Oh scrap!" said Arcee.

 _Meanwhile_

A group of Decepticon miners desperately drilled a buried tablet out of the tunnel wall.

"Hurry up, before the Autobots see it" said a Vehicon. The Decepticon miners were able to pull the tablet out of the wall. "Good; now let's get it out of here" Suddenly, Bumblebee zoomed up to them, transformed, and kicked several Vehicons out of the way. The Decepticon miners placed the tablet on the ground and began shooting at him. Bumblebee turned his hands into his blasters and shot them down. He walked over to the tablet and looked at it.

"Now this looks important" said Bumblebee. He grabbed the tablet and rushed out of the cave.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee rolled down a hill and hid behind a large rock.

"Get outta' there right now or you're toast!" snarled Blitzwing. Suddenly, his face spun over again to reveal a new face which was black and featureless, except for a pair of red eyes and mouth which resembled a Jack-o-Lantern. "Ooo; did someone say toast?" He began firing at her with his tank cannons again whilst laughing maniacally. At that moment, Bumblebee ran out of the cave with the tablet.

"Ratchet, this is Bumblebee" said Bumblebee "Get the ground bridge up, we've got—" Suddenly, someone grabbed ahold of his arm. He turned around to see a large grey and purple Decepticon with red optics holding his arm.

"You've got what I want" said the Decepticon.

"Who are you?" asked Bumblebee.

"Name's Astrotrain; and you had better let go of that tablet!" said Astrotrain.

"Or what?" said Bumblebee.

"Or I'll just have to take it from you" said Astrotrain. Bumblebee attempted to pull himself free but Astrotrain lifted him up and punched him in the stomach, causing him to drop the tablet. Astrotrain threw him to the side and picked up the tablet. "I've got it; now let's go!" He transformed into a NASA space shuttle and flew off.

"Go go go!?" said Blitzwing. He switched to his Icy persona. "We will meet again, Autobots" He transformed into his jet mode and flew off. Arcee rushed over to Bumblebee and helped him up.

"What was that?" said Bulkhead.

"Three faces of lunacy" said Arcee.

 _Later at the Ark_

"It was just so strange" said Arcee "One minute he's a jet, next minute he's a tank"

"If what you said is true, it would look like Starscream has gotten triple-changers working for him" said Ratchet

"Just like Springer" said Bulkhead.

"Correct; but on a different side, of course" said Ratchet.

"What are triple-changers?" asked Melody.

"Normally a Cybertronian only has one alternative mode, but triple-changers have two; giving them three modes altogether, hence the name "triple-changer"" said Ratchet "They're rare to find as they are born not made; but to move on both the sky and the ground gives one an advantage"

"And the three-faced business?" said Arcee.

"There are no records of that" said Ratchet.

"Whilst new Decepticons are always a pressing threat, we need to focus on the lost tablet" said Optimus.

"Which we may have got if someone had held onto it" said Prowl.

"It's not my fault, Prowl!" spat Bumblebee "Astrotrain overpowered me before I could do anything!"

"And that's supposed to justify the loss of—" said Prowl.

"Save the lecture!" said Bumblebee "Oh, and you know what; you weren't there, so you can't just scold me like this"

"At least I didn't lose it" said Prowl.

"You probably would've if you were in my position; unless, of course, that visor of yours is somehow able to see into the future" said Bumblebee.

"Really?" said Prowl. Arcee stepped in.

"Okay; let's have a break, shall we" said Arcee.

"In any case; whatever the tablet has written on it, it no doubt important due to Starscream trying to possess it" said Prowl "Without it, we're forced to leave everything to chance. We'll have to monitor Decepticon activity 24/7. If we miss one single hint, Starscream may just tip the scale of this war further"

"Which is why we're Teletraan to monitor it" said Optimus "And for further help, I'll contact Agent Bluestone"

"With all due respect, Optimus; we'll need all of us on this" said Prowl.

"True" said Optimus "But Starscream will no doubt be prepared; which is why we all have to rested"

 _Meanwhile on the Nemesis_

"Excellent work, Astrotrain" said Starscream whilst holding up the tablet "The services of you and Blitzwing have been most useful; after the loss of Lugnut, we needed more muscle"

"A pleasure" said Astrotrain. Starscream blew on the tablet and dusted it off. On it was a bizarre language.

"Now what's this?" said Starscream.

"It looks like ancient Cybertronian" said Slipstream.

"Then what does it say?" asked Starscream.

"I only know a portion of ancient Cybertronian, not all of it" said Slipstream. Starscream glared at her. "What; it's a dead language, there was no need to learn it"

"There is now" said Starscream "We'll have to run it through our data in order to translate it. Soundwave, have this translated"

"As you command" said Soundwave. He picked up the tablet and examined it. "This is only half of the tablet"

"What; are you sure of it?" snapped Starscream.

"Positive" replied Soundwave "The end of the left side is rough and has only portions of the writing on it"

"Then we'll just have to find the other half" said Starscream "Slipstream, send a party back to the location and dig deeper. Don't stop until you find it"

"And if it's not there, what then?" said Slipstream.

"We'll worry about that later" replied Starscream "In the meantime we'll just have to translate what we have of the tablet and see if it makes enough sense on its own. If not, then I guess we'll just have tear this planet apart"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody sat on her platform reading a comic book. Bumblebee and Arcee walked up to her.

"What are you reading?" asked Bumblebee.

"Just a comic" replied Melody.

"What's a comic?" asked Arcee.

"Well…it's like a book…you guys had books back on Cybertron, right?" said Melody.

"Yeah, we had books" replied Arcee.

"And did any of them have pictures in them?" asked Melody.

"Some of them did" replied Bumblebee.

"Well; a comic book is a basically a book which is mainly consisted of pictures" said Melody.

"Can we have a look?" asked Bumblebee. Melody handed her comic book to him.

"X…Men?" said Arcee. Bumblebee began to flip through it.

"There's a Human in a yellow outfit and metal claws" said Bumblebee "I didn't know Humans could do that"

"A blue woman with red hair" said Arcee "And didn't know Humans could turn into other Humans"

"It's not real, it's made up" said Melody "They're superheroes so they possess powers that normal people don't have"

"Why would someone make up a story like this?" asked Bumblebee.

"It's something we Humans do; we make up stories for others" said Melody.

"Why do you do it?" asked Arcee.

"Well…I honestly can't explain it, but it's part of life" replied Melody.

"All these years on Earth and we've only ever touched the tip of Human culture" said Bumblebee.

"Probably because we've only made "government" Human contact until recently" said Arcee "I mean; it's not exactly like Agent Bluestone liked sharing things about the life of Humans" At that moment, an alarm sounded. Optimus ran up to Teletraan I.

"Teletraan, what is it?" asked Optimus.

" _Decepticon activity: Detected"_

A map of Mexico came up with the Decepticon location dotted.

"Wait, that's the same place the Decepticons were excavating earlier" said Prowl "Why would they return?"

"Perhaps there's something else to find" replied Optimus.

"Whatever it is, it is too great an opportunity to turn away" said Prowl.

"That I agree with" said Optimus "But we have to stay careful in case of a trap"

"It seems we'll have to send a small team in again" said Jazz.

"I understand what you mean, Jazz; but we need to think about it differently" said Prowl "If the Decepticons get find us, a small team may not be enough to take all of them on at once"

"But if there's one big group, than we're pretty much already discovered" said Jazz.

"Who said anything about one big group?" said Prowl.

 _A few minutes later_

The Decepticons mined deeper into the hillside. Slipstream flew down and transformed.

"How is the progress?" asked Slipstream.

"We have found no trace of the other side of the tablet thus far" replied a Vehicon "We've almost drilled this hill inside out; we've dug as deep as we can"

"Then dig deeper" said Slipstream.

"Yes commander" said the Vehicon. Jazz peered out from behind a large rock.

"Woah!" mumbled Jazz "Girl, you haven't lost your spunk after all these years!"

"What?!" said Bumblebee.

"Nothing" said Jazz "Anyways, we're in position now; we'll just have to wait for Prowl's mark. Remember; if we move before the Decepticons find what they're looking for, then it'll all be for nothin'"

"What if we get spotted again?" asked Bulkhead.

"Then we'll just have to deal with it" said Jazz "It's cool; we just need to stay calm"

"Jazz, this is Prowl; we're in position" said Prowl through Jazz's comlink "What is your status?"

"Same as yours" replied Jazz into his comlink "We're exactly where you wanted us"

"Good" said Prowl. At that moment, a Decepticon miner came running out of the tunnel.

"Commander, come quick!" said the Decepticon miner "Inside!" Slipstream followed him inside.

"We've got movement" said Jazz "What should we do?"

"Hold back" replied Prowl "Wait until she comes out again"

"Got it" said Jazz. The Decepticon miner brought Slipstream up to the end of the tunnel where he picked up a tablet and handed it to her. Slipstream brushed the dust off and examined it, noticing that it was the exactly the same to the other tablet but parallel.

"This is it" said Slipstream. She walked out of the cave.

"Hey, do you see this?" said Jazz.

"I do" replied Prowl "Is that—"

"Yep; it looks exactly the same as the one they took earlier" said Jazz "Looks like there's two of them"

"Whatever happens, we cannot let them get away this time" said Prowl "On my mark: three…two…one!" Jazz, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Bulkhead leapt out. On the other side of the hill, Optimus, Prowl, Ironhide, and Breakaway leapt out.

"Keep the Autobots busy while I get this back to the _Nemesis_ " said Slipstream. She transformed and flew off.

"Oh no you don't!" said Jazz. He transformed and drove off after her.

"Jazz, wait!" said Optimus.

"I'll get him, Prime" said Breakaway. He transformed and flew after them.

 _Meanwhile_

A Vehicon walked into a room where Starscream was sitting.

"Lord Starscream, there's someone here to see you" said the Vehicon.

"Bring them in" said Starscream. Lugnut entered.

"Lugnut!" said Starscream "How…I thought you were…"

"I hid within a cavern when the base collapsed" said Lugnut "I spent the last few days digging myself out until I finally got out. I did it all so I could serve Lord Megatron again. Where is he?"

"I'm afraid our Lord Megatron has been…destroyed" said Starscream.

"Destroyed!" said Lugnut "That's impossible, he's indestructible!"

"The Autobots destroyed him" said Starscream "After his tragic passing, I took it upon myself to lead the Decepticons in his stead"

"You are not worthy to stand where he stood, Starscream!" snarled Lugnut.

"Who are you to argue?" said Starscream.

"Lord Megatron is the only one worthy to lead us!" said Lugnut.

"And until he somehow comes back from the dead, you had better make yourself comfortable and follow me" said Starscream. Lugnut huffed and left the room. As he walked down the hallway, he heard a voice.

"Excuse me; Lugnut, is it?" said the voice. Lugnut turned around to see Blackout standing behind him.

"Who are you?" asked Lugnut.

"My name is Blackout" replied Blackout "I worked very closely with your leader, Lord Megatron. If you want to honor his memory, you will come with me. I have need for assistance"

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz chased Slipstream through the desert. Jazz drove faster and faster after her until eventually reaching a cliff.

"Oh scrap!" said Jazz. Just as he drove off, he transformed, leapt off the cliff face towards Slipstream, and grabbed onto her wing.

"Get off!" snapped Slipstream.

"No can do" said Jazz. Slipstream spun around at high speed in an attempt to shake him off, but he clung on tight. "C'mon, Slip; we both know how this is going to end up"

"Don't call me that!" snapped Slipstream.

"I get it; I lost the right to call you that long ago" said Jazz. He turned his hand into his blaster. "Sorry about this, babe" He shot Slipstream two times, causing her to transform.

"You idiot!" snapped Slipstream. As he fell, Jazz grabbed onto the tablet with both hands. "I guess I'll just have to pry them from your fingers" She transformed.

"Oh…" said Jazz "Didn't think this through" Suddenly, Breakaway flew by and caught him. "Now that's the nick of time"

 _Later_

Ratchet examined the tablet.

"I've haven't seen anything like this in a long time" said Ratchet.

"Me neither" said Optimus "If it is what I think it is—"

"I know" said Ratchet "Which is why Teletraan must translate it to be certain. But it'll mean having to take it off of full-time alert"

"A necessary move, Ratchet" said Optimus "We'll placed it back on alert after we're done with the translating" Ratchet placed it underneath Teletraan I which started scanning it.

"I don't get it" said Bumblebee "Why can't we just read it?"

"It's in Ancient Cybertronian, used long before our time" said Jazz "Not even Prime or Ratchet know what it means; which is something, because Optimus is usually an expert at these sorts of things and Ratchet is…well, y'know"

"So…just out of curiosity, what's the deal with Slipstream?" said Bumblebee.

"What are you talkin' about?" said Jazz.

"Well; I heard about your little encounter recently during the whole Crankcase incident, and you seemed pretty persistent in getting the tablet back from her yourself" replied Bumblebee "I was just wondering, is there a reason behind all of this?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated" said Jazz "It goes back a long time, before the war"

"What, you developed a rivalry or something?" asked Bumblebee.

"No, it was something else" replied Jazz.

"I don't get it" said Bumblebee "it just doesn't make any…wait a second…you and Slipstream were…a couple"

"Ehhh…okay, we were" admitted Jazz.

"But how?" said Bumblebee "I mean, you're a…and she's a…"

"It was a different time, before the war" said Jazz.

"But still; she's not exactly "relationship" material, if you know what I mean" said Bumblebee.

"I told you; it was a different time, she was more carefree and thoughtful" said Jazz.

"So what happened?" asked Bumblebee.

"Well; she went her way, I went mind, and she's pretty much hated me ever since" said Jazz.

"That's pretty harsh" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

"I am disappointed to say the least" said Starscream "You are telling me that you got ahold of the tablet yet you still lost it to the Autobots?"

"It wasn't—" said Slipstream.

"Wasn't your fault?" said Starscream "You had better prey that Soundwave's translating is enough; or we may as well just hand it over to the Autobots" Soundwave entered. "Well?"

"The translation does not speak of the object itself" said Soundwave. Starscream glared at Slipstream. "However, it tells the location of it" Starscream raised an eyebrow.

"Location is good enough for me" said Starscream "We'll go there straight away"

"The Autobots were able to detect our activity" said Slipstream "I think that implies that they are on high alert"

"Then we'll just need a distraction" said Starscream "Whatever it is, I will find it!" Unbeknownst to the rest of them, Lugnut watched them secretly though the door.

 _Meanwhile_

" _Translation: Complete"_

The translation of the tablet came up on Teletraan's screen.

"Optimus, you'll want to see this" said Ratchet. Optimus walked over to the screen. "It's as we feared"

"I had hoped that it wouldn't come to this" said Optimus "Get everyone in here, we have to tell them"

"Attention: Everyone must get to Teletraan immediately" said Ratchet into the intercom "The translation is complete and we have urgent news" Everyone ran up to Teletraan I.

"What is it?" asked Jazz.

"What does it say?" asked Prowl.

"Back at the Iacon Hall of Records, I did research on the subject that the tablet talks about" replied Optimus "Long before our time, there was a warlord who created several powerful golems to help him take over Cybertron"

"Golem?" said Melody "As in "mythical-fantasy" golem?"

"Oh, these ones were real" said Ratchet "And they nearly destroyed all of Cybertron"

"Fortunately, the remaining population of Cybertron at the time were able to band together and defeat the warlord before he could inflict anymore damage" said Optimus "With the warlord gone, the golems remained inactive, but still a potential threat. They tried to destroy, but found that they were indestructible. So instead they were hidden on random planets across the galaxy. These tablets were placed on each of those worlds so they could be identified from a long range"

"So we have to it before Screamer, right?" said Ironhide.

"Unfortunately, that may not be the problem" said Ratchet.

"Meaning?" said Ironhide confused.

"The tablet we have is only one half" said Ratchet "And since it doesn't contain anything about the precise location of the golem, it's a fair guess that Starscream's half has it"

"And knowing the location of something that's supposedly important is just enough reason for him to go there immediately and tear it out, no matter where it is" said Prowl.

"And all he needs to do is place his energon within the golem and he will have complete control of it" said Optimus.

"Wait; wasn't Teletraan uploaded with all the files from the Iacon database?" said Breakaway "Wouldn't it have information there?"

"Unfortunately no" replied Optimus "The files that contained the more precise information on the golems were placed in a restricted section that only authorized individuals could read; and when the war started, the restricted file was permanently erased to prevent Megatron from getting ahold of them"

"So all we can do in the meantime is wait for Starscream to make his move" said Jazz.

"True; but for all we know, we may be too late" said Optimus. At that moment, Agent Bluestone appeared on Teletraan I.

"Prime, this is Agent Bluestone" said Bluestone "I've got urgent news; it looks as though the Decepticons are attacking a military base. We need your help, quick! I'm uploading the coordinates now"

"Looks like he's made his move" said Prowl.

"Ratchet, set the ground bridge for—" said Optimus.

" _Decepticon activity: Discovered"_

An image of San Francisco came up on Teletraan.

"San Francisco?" said Prowl.

"It looks as though Starscream anticipated our arrival, so he's created a diversion" said Optimus.

"Question is which one?" said Ratchet.

"That's easy" said Ironhide "If the Cons are going for the base, that's more likely the distraction. We'll go there"

"We can't risk it" said Prowl "We'll split off into two teams. Optimus, I'd suggest you, me, Bulkhead, and Breakaway go to the military base to keep the Cons under control. The rest of you to San Francisco"

"Ratchet, prepare the ground bridge for the base" said Optimus.

"Right on it" said Ratchet. He placed in coordinates into the ground bridge and opened it up. Optimus, Bulkhead, Jazz, and Breakaway ran through it. "Now for the rest of you" At that moment, Wheeljack walked in holding a device in his hands.

"Good news, everyone!" said Wheeljack. Everyone just stared at him.

"And where were you?" said Arcee.

"I was in my lab the whole time" replied Wheeljack "Wait; where's Optimus and the others?"

"We'll fill you in on the way" said Jazz "Punch it, Ratchet"

 _Meanwhile at the military base_

Vehicons swarmed all over the military base, shooting their blasters repeatedly. Suddenly, a few of them were shot down. Optimus and the others ran up to them shooting.

"Decepticons, turn your attention to the Autobots!" said Barricade.

 _Meanwhile in San Francisco_

Jazz, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ironhide, and Wheeljack were on the shoreline of San Francisco, where they had found a large hole that led to a tunnel.

"At least we know where to start" said Jazz. He stepped in. "C'mon, let's see where it leads"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream stood next to a large drill which dug into the wall of the tunnel.

"Dig deeper" said Starscream "It's just beyond these walls"

"We don't even know what it is" said Slipstream "For all we know, it could be something that not even you can control"

"That is to be seen" said Starscream. At that moment, the drill stopped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"There's nothing beyond here" replied the Vehicon at the drill.

"Then pull out!" snapped Starscream. The Vehicon reversed the drill. Starscream walked up to the hole in the wall and look out, seeing nothing but blackness. "We've found it! Keep guard of the area, I'm going in myself" He jumped into the hole and disappeared.

 _Meanwhile_

"Starscream's been digging a long way" said Jazz.

"Hey, look!" said Bumblebee. Down the tunnel was a powerful glimpse of light which appeared to be getting bigger.

"What is that?" said Ironhide.

"I don't know, but—" said Jazz. As the light got bigger, it reveled itself to be a grey and purple 500 Series Shinkansen that was zooming towards them fast. "By the AllSpark!"

"I've got this!" said Ironhide. He stepped forward and extended out his hands. As the train reached them, it was stopped in its tracks by Ironhide's hands and transformed into Astrotrain.

"Who is that?" said Wheeljack.

"Your death, Autobots!" said Astrotrain. He turned his hands into blasters and began shooting at them.

"He's distracting us" said Jazz "We have to get out of here"

"You guys go on ahead" said Ironhide "I'll keep him busy for ya'" Jazz and the others ran off, leaving Ironhide to deal with Astrotrain.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream crawled down through the darkness, holding a torch in his hands. He reached a platform at the bottom of the pit and looked up. Lying in front of him was a large metal ball covered in dirt and dust.

"I don't believe it!" said Starscream. Suddenly, he was stunned by an electric shock and collapsed. Blackout (holding an electric spear in his hands) stepped forward.

"Thank you for leading me here, Starscream" smirked Blackout. He looked over at the ball. "Well, well; I would never have thought that this primitive world would be chosen to hide a Cybetronian golem. Then again, it does make perfect sense" He looked at a pad on the ball and then looked down on the palm of his hand. He retracted out of his helicopter blades from his wrist and used it to cut the palm of his hand. He placed his energon-soaked hand on the pad, causing it to glow blue. The ball slowly transformed into a more humanoid shape and got itself up. It stomped over towards the tunnel and began climbing up. When it reached the top, it began pulling itself into the tunnel.

"By the AllSpark!" said Slipstream.

"So that's what was inside" said Thundercracker.

"Wait; is Starscream controlling it or something?" said Skywarp. The golem smashed the drill to the side.

"I doubt it" said Slipstream "Stop it before it gets away!" She and the other Decepticons began shooting at it continuously, to little effect. At that moment, Jazz and the others turned up.

"Oh, this is not good!" said Jazz.

"The golem is already activated" said Arcee.

"My word, that thing's amazing!" said Wheeljack. Everyone looked at him. "What; it is"

"We to stop it!" said Bumblebee whilst turning his hand into one of his blasters.

"Hold up, Bee" said Jazz "I haven't heard the story in a long time, but I've heard that they were indestructible. There's no point taking it head on"

"Then how do we stop it?" asked Bumblebee "I mean; if the population of Cybertron could stop them, there must be some way we could stop it" Jazz stroked his chin.

"As I recall, the golems deactivated when the warlord was rendered unconscious" said Jazz "We just need to find the controller and rendered 'im unconscious"

"Do you think it's Starscream?" asked Arcee.

"Actually, no" replied Jazz "The golem's attacking the Cons and I doubt even Starscream would do that without a proper reason. No, I think there's someone else in the picture" He looked over at the hole in the wall. "Stay here, I'll see what I can do" He snuck off and leapt down through the hole and into the cavern. He landed down on the platform where he found the unconscious body of Starscream. "Well, I guess that proves my theory"

"Oh, he's not controlling the golem" said a voice. Jazz turned around to see Blackout standing there. "I am"

"Well, well; never thought we'd meet again, Blackout" said Jazz.

"Autobot Jazz" said Blackout.

"Why're doing this?" said Jazz.

"With the command of the golem, I'll finally be able to prove that I am the one true leader of the Decepticons" said Blackout "And then I'll use it to destroy all of you"

"Not if knocked it out of you first" said Jazz. Blackout smirked.

"You assume too much" said Blackout. He turned his hand into his helicopter blades and charged at Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

The fight at the military base was growing more and more intense.

"Seriously, is this all they've got?" said Bulkhead "It just seems easy" Suddenly, Blitzwing flew down and shot an ice missile which landed on Optimus's arm. Blitzwing transformed and switched to his Hothead persona.

"Prepare to die, Prime!" snarled Blitzwing. As he was charging up his back cannons, he was shot by Breakaway.

"Don't even think about it" said Breakaway. He transformed and flew towards Blitzwing, shooting at him multiple times. Blitzwing switched to his Random persona.

"You wanna' play tag; okay!" said Blitzwing before transforming into a jet and chasing after Breakaway. He began shooting at Breakaway continuously.

"Okay, maybe this wasn't such a bright idea" said Breakaway. He tried to shake off Blitzwing, but it was hard to do it to someone who didn't even fly straight to begin with. He then swooped down and started flying low, with Blitzwing following him still. He then realized that he was coming up on a wired fence. Just as he reached it, he swung up abruptly; leaving Blitzwing to ram straight into it.

"Uh-oh!" said Blitzwing as he began entangled in the wires. He flew after Breakaway further.

"Right, that's it!" snarled Blitzwing's Hothead persona "You thought you could just—OH SCRAP!" He had transformed into his tank mode and began falling uncontrollably before finally crashing onto the ground. Breakaway transformed and landed.

"What the heck was that?" said Breakaway. Blitzwing transformed back to robot mode and aimed his back cannons at him.

"You're dead!" snarled Blitzwing. Suddenly, Bulkhead swooped in and bashed him on the head with his mace. "Good; more Autobots to squash!" Suddenly, Optimus charged up to him and punched him so hard that he flew across the field. He then switched to his Icy persona. "This battle is pointless. I will not continue it further" He transformed into his jet mode and flew off.

 _Meanwhile_

Ironhide brawled with Astrotrain whilst shooting at him as well.

"Give it up, Ironhide" said Astrotrain "Can't you see you're too old for this?"

"I'm young enough to kick you back to Cybertron" said Ironhide.

"Well, I've got one advantage you don't" said Astrotrain as he stepped back through the tunnel. He transformed into his shuttle mode and slammed into Ironhide and flew out. "I can fly!" Ironhide desperately held onto his wing. "You've got quite a grip, don't you?" He turned upwards and rocket towards the sky. "Let's see how well you cope past the atmosphere!" Ironhide slowly aimed his cannon at one of his wings.

"Let's see how well you cope with only one wing!" said Ironhide. He blasted the wing, causing Astrotrain to spiral out of control.

"Ah; you idiot!" snarled Astrotrain. Ironhide let go, landed in the water below, and watched as Astrotrain spun away.

 _Meanwhile_

The golem smashed away every Vehicon in sight.

"We can't face it like this" said Slipstream "Decepticons, we have to retreat!"

"What about Starscream?" asked Thundercracker.

"He's on his own now" said Slipstream. All the Decepticons transformed and flew out of the tunnel. The golem turned its head to the Autobots.

"This does not look good" said Bumblebee. They all turned their hands into blasters and pointed them at the golem, who charged towards them.

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout continuously shot at Jazz with his energon cannon but the Autobot was too agile for him.

"You can't keep this up forever, Jazz" said Blackout "You'll have to fall sooner or later"

"Not today, my friend!" said Jazz as he delivered a kick, only for Blackout to catch his leg within midair and throw him into the wall. He then turned his hands into his blasters and shot at Blackout, who used his helicopter blades to deflect the shots.

"Nice try!" smirked Blackout "But it was too predictable" He transformed and began shooting at Jazz who ran away from the shots before one of them hit him in the leg, causing him to trip. Blackout transformed, walked up to him, smirked, and lifted his helicopter blades. But as this was happening, Jazz peered out and saw Blackout's energon spear lying on the ground near him. "All too easy!" He swung down at Jazz who merely rolled to the side, leapt up into the air, and kicked him in the face two times before landing behind him, grabbing ahold of the energon spear, and slamming it into the back of his neck and knocking him face first into the wall.

"Not so predictable now" smirked Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

The golem stopped in its tracks and reverted back to its ball form.

"What just happened?" said Arcee.

"I think Jazz just took out the controller" said Bumblebee.

 _Later_

Ironhide and Wheeljack carried out the unconscious body of Blackout and placed him outside the entrance to the tunnel.

"For some reason he weighs heavier than he looks" said Wheeljack.

"Blackout, huh?" said Ironhide "I thought he was dead"

"Must've been waiting for the right moment to emerge" said Jazz, who had the unconscious Starscream slopped over his shoulder. Suddenly, Blackout rolled himself off and into the water.

"Oh no!" said Bumblebee.

"And it seems he wasn't as unconscious as we thought" said Jazz "Quickly; we—AHHHH!" Starscream had stabbed him in the side with his fingers and kicked him against the wall.

"Goodbye, Autobots!" smirked Starscream. Before anyone could react, he transformed and flew off.

"Jazz, are you okay?" asked Bumblebee whilst rushing up to him.

"I'm fine, Bumblebee" said Jazz "Just a little…stabbed is all"

"We'd better get you back to Ratchet" said Ironhide.

"We almost had him" said Jazz.

 _Later_

"Good to know that the Decepticons were scared off" said Bluestone via Teletraan I "If they'd have stayed any longer near a populated area, things could've gotten much worse. So what's happened to the golem?"

"We cannot destroy it but neither can we leave it" said Optimus "We've taken it aboard the _Ark_ for safe keeping. For the time being, it's the safest place from the Decepticons"

"And of course, I'll have access to it at all times" said Wheeljack "After all, we have to at least know how it works"

"No!" said Ratchet and Prowl simultaneously.

"But I—" said Wheeljack.

"NO!" said Ratchet and Prowl simultaneously. Wheeljack looked down disappointedly.

"It's just a pity we couldn't have gotten Starscream while we had the chance" said Bluestone.

"Indeed" said Optimus "But he's slipped through our grasp many, many times. We'll have to be on alert"

"Good job, Prime" said Bluestone "Keep the work up" His transmission ended.

"Did he just thank you guys?" said Melody.

"It would appear so" said Jazz. Prowl exited of the room and down a hallway to his quarters. Jazz followed him and found him holding a hologram of something. "What's that?"

"Oh; just something I've been planning on" replied Prowl "Ever since the visit from Springer resulted in increasing the amount of the Decepticons on the planet, I've been working on this. It's a prison for Decepticons to make sure they don't cause any problems. It's a working progress since it's just an idea at the moment, but I feel it could be useful"

"Sounds good to me" said Jazz.

"The problem is that to contain the Decepticons it'll have to be very bigger, potentially bigger than the _Ark_ itself" said Prowl "Where are we going to build it?"

 **kira444** : Thanks for the advice on Ratchet; I'll apply that to the character. As for ideas for Human villains; I was thinking on having terrorist group like MECH from _Transformers: Prime_ or having a shady Lex Luthor-style businessman. What are your thoughts?

 **Hellman76** : The Wreckers won't be having a very big role in this season but their role will increase as the series progresses. Don't worry, they exist in this universe.

 **Martin** : I do plan on using Elita One in my series as I've always felt she was one of the more underused characters in the franchise.


	11. Bounty

_Nevada_

Optimus drove along a road at night time.

"Ratchet, I am nearing their last known coordinates" said Optimus into his comlink.

"Any signs of Decepticon activity, Optimus?" asked Ratchet through his comlink.

"Not yet" said Optimus "But I hope to find some clues when I get there" He drove onwards but abruptly stopped when he found the body of a dead Vehicon lying on the road. He transformed and crouched down to examine the body. "Ratchet, I've found something; it's the body of a dead Vehicon in the middle of the road"

"Do you have any idea on what killed it?" asked Ratchet. What Optimus didn't realize was that a mysterious silhouette walked up behind him.

"It appears to have been shot by laser bolts" replied Optimus.

"I'm assuming Bumblebee and Arcee did it" said Ratchet.

"Perhaps, unless there was a third party of some sort" said Optimus "Open a ground bridge so we can examine it furth—" Suddenly, something snagged him by the leg and pulled him all the way back through the ground and into a large ditch. As he got himself up, he saw the mysterious silhouette standing atop the ledge of the ditch. "Who are you, and why did you attack me?" The silhouette didn't reply. All that could be identified of him were two large green optics.

 **Bounty**

 _One hour earlier_

"Yep, looks like everything's in good shape" said Ratchet whilst looking over Teletraan I. At that moment, Jazz walked in.

"Eh; what's up, doc?" asked Jazz.

"Just checking over Teletraan" replied Ratchet "Regular checks are what get me through the long days nowadays"

"You haven't really been on the field since the war, so I suppose you have to do something" smirked Jazz. Ratchet gave him a stern look.

"It may have been a long time since I was on the battlefield, but that does not make me useless" said Ratchet.

"No, I mean it" said Jazz "After all; when we crashed on this planet, Teletraan was like beyond rescue and all we had to repair it was Human tech. Most bots would just give up on it; but you made it work. That's impressive"

"Well…thank you" said Ratchet. At that moment, there was a loud explosion from down the hallway.

"That came from Wheeljack's workshop" said Jazz. He and Ratchet rushed off down the hallway.

 _Meanwhile_

Ironhide stood in his quarters looking at a large cabinet. After a moment's hesitation, he reached down and opened it up. He pulled out a large handheld cannon and looked at it thoughtfully and with disdain.

 _Flashback_

Ironhide looked out of a watchtower on Cybertron. He looked out at the dark city of Kaon over the horizon using a pair of binoculars. In his hands he held a large handheld cannon, and his wrist cannons were absent. At that moment, a small white and turquoise Autobot with blue optics ran up to him.

"Commander Ironhide, sir; Optimus Prime is contacting us" said the Autobot.

"Take me to 'im" said Ironhide.

"Yes sir!" said the Autobot. The two of them went down the ladder of the watchtower and down to the center of the camp. A hologram of Optimus Prime stood before them.

"What is it you wish of me, Prime?" asked Ironhide.

"Ironhide, the Elite Guard is forming a strike team on Kaon tomorrow at daybreak" replied Optimus "With the Decepticon army spread thin across the planet, Ultra Magnus has decided that this is the right opportunity to attack. If we capture Megatron or any of his high ranking generals, we can bring this war to a closer end"

"And what's this got to do with me?" asked Ironhide.

"In order to increase the numbers, Ultra Magnus has requested that you and your men join him in the attack" replied Optimus "Do you agree to this?"

"You kiddin'?" said Ironhide "I've been waiting to bust myself some Deceptichops the day I was assigned to this post. Count me in, Prime"

"Very well, I will inform him of your involvement" said Optimus "He's also interested in the information you and your men have received during your time at the border"

"Tell him we've got plenty" said Ironhide.

"I will" said Optimus "Good luck, Ironhide" The hologram turned off.

"So what does this mean, commander?" asked the Autobot.

"It means we're about to get off our butts and finally do something" said Ironhide "Soldier, gather all the men together"

"Yes sir" replied the Autobot. He rushed off.

 _Back to reality_

"Hey Ironhide, we need some help" said Jazz. Ironhide placed the cannon back in the cabinet.

"What's wrong?" asked Ironhide.

"It's Wheeljack" replied Jazz "I don't know exactly what happened, but one of his inventions went wrong…again"

 _Meanwhile_

Wheeljack stood at the center of his workshop, both of which were extremely charred.

"Perhaps that was too much" said Wheeljack. Ratchet rushed in.

"What happened?" asked Ratchet.

"I was just working on a bomb—" replied Wheeljack.

"You were working on a bomb?" said Ratchet "Here in the _Ark_?"

"Where else was I supposed to make it—Minnesota?" said Wheeljack "Anyways; I added too much of one sort of chemical and it ignited the rest of the chemicals" Jazz and Ironhide entered.

"Oh Wheeljack…" said Jazz "Sometimes you've just got to ask yourself where the limit is"

"With my mind…there is no limit" said Wheeljack. There was a short silence. "Okay; better get started again" He crouched down and started picking up the charred pieces of metal off the floor.

 _Meanwhile in the suburbs of Carson City_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove along the road.

"It's getting late, we should get back to base" said Bumblebee.

"Do you think we need a ground bridge?" asked Arcee.

"We're not far from base, I'm sure we can make it" said Bumblebee. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a black Zenvo ST1 with a green flame job drove out of the shadows and followed behind them silently. After driving along for a few minutes, Arcee noticed the mysterious car through her rear-view mirror.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a stalker" said Arcee quietly.

"Could just be a coincidence" said Bumblebee quietly.

"Maybe, but we'll have to be certain" said Arcee quietly "Let's go with the flow for the moment" The two of them continued onwards and reached the highway, with the mysterious car following them. "Certainly a big coincidence; let's see how far he goes on for" They drove faster, but the mysterious car raced after them. Suddenly, it tilted on one side and drove between them, causing it to go in front of them.

"Okay, that's no Human" said Bumblebee. Suddenly, the car created an oil slick which caused both he and Arcee to spiral out of control and transform.

"We'll take him together" said Arcee whilst turning her hands into her blasters.

"Agreed" said Bumblebee whilst turning his hands into his blasters.

"Hold it, Con!" said Arcee whilst pointing her blasters at the car "Transform and put your han—" Suddenly, the car shot powerful high beam lights at the two of them, which temporaily blinded them. It then drove right into them and knocked them over. Before the two of them could even get up, the car shot out a pair of wires into them which electrocuted them and knocked them out.

 _Meanwhile_

"Oh no" said Ratchet.

"What's wrong, Ratch?" asked Jazz.

"Bumblebee and Arcee's life signals have disappeared from Teletraan's view" replied Ratchet.

"You mean they're—" said Wheeljack.

"With the repairs and upgrades I'd be making, we would know if they were truly offline" said Ratchet.

"Looks like Starscream's up to his old tricks again" said Jazz.

"I wouldn't exactly put all my eggs in that basket" said Ratchet "We don't know what happened, so we can't be sure; and with the inclusion of Blackout recently, I think it's clear that there are Decepticons out there who won't simply follow Starscream's rule"

"Too bad there ain't no Decepticon civil war, we'd probably wouldn't have to worry about them then" aid Wheeljack "Then again, we'd all probably be brought into the mix sooner or later"

"We always do" said Ratchet "Optimus was on patrol around that area; I'll contact him. Optimus, this is Ratchet—"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus drove along the road.

"—Bumblebee and Arcee have disappeared from Teletraan's sight" said Ratchet through his comlink "We believe that Decepticons may be involved. I'm sending you the coordinates"

"I'm heading there now, Ratchet" said Optimus into his comlink.

"We'll arrive in a moment" said Ratchet "And remember, Optimus; be careful; whatever took them could still be lurking around"

"Will do" replied Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

At that moment, Wheeljack walked out holding a large bazooka-like weapon.

"Alrighty, let's get'em!" said Wheeljack. Everyone looked at him.

"What is that?" asked Jazz.

"It's a new weapon I created" said Wheeljack "It will automatically target Decepticons and blow them away"

"And how are they supposed to **strictly** target Decepticons?" asked Ironhide.

"Because it's been programmed to target their insignias" replied Wheeljack "Just stay the heck away from a Con during the targeting and you should be fine"

"And how do you suppose it's going to work?" asked Ironhide.

"Look, it's tested it time and time again and it's full proof" replied Wheeljack.

"On actual Decepticons?" asked Ironhide.

"Well…admittingly no" replied Wheeljack "But I haven't had time to target real Decepticons"

"Ratchet, I am nearing their last known coordinates" said Optimus through Teletraan I.

"Any signs of Decepticon activity, Optimus?" asked Ratchet.

"Not yet" said Optimus "But I hope to find some clues when I get there"

"It feels like every day a new Decepticon arrives on the scene" said Jazz "We're getting outnumbered real fast. Another Decepticon is the last thing we need" Ironhide closed his eyes and his thoughts drifted back.

 _Ironhide's flashback_

Ironhide stood before the Autobots under his command.

"I've called y'all here to give you a special announcement" said Ironhide "I've just received a message from Optimus Prime himself regarding our current status. Ultra Magnus has requested that we assist him in a strike at Kaon"

"Kaon; the Decepticon capital?" said an Autobot soldier "But sir, it's suicide"

"Only if you go in alone" said Ironhide "We're going to be teaming up with the Elite Guard for this one, which means it's going to be far from suicide. We've got a hard day tomorrow, best get some rest. You are dismissed" The Autobot soldiers left.

"Sir, do you think it'll be enough?" asked the white and teal Autobot.

"What's your name, soldier?" asked Ironhide.

"Tailgate, sir" replied the Autobot.

"Tailgate, Ultra Magnus and the Elite Guard have been one of our greatest assets in the war" said Ironhide "If anyone can challenge the walls of Kaon, it's them"

"Have you ever met them?" asked Tailgate.

"Not much" replied Ironhide.

"Then how do you know?" asked Tailgate.

"Optimus has told me all about them" replied Ironhide.

"And you trust his word?" asked Tailgate.

"Son, if there was ever an Autobot worth following it's Optimus Prime" replied Ironhide "He's led us through the thick of it and made sure we all live to tell the tale. If we were following behind, say, Grimlock, most of us would probably be dead by now"

"Sorry, sir" said Tailgate.

"Don't worry, there's no reason to apologize" said Ironhide.

"It's just…it's just…" murmured Tailgate.

"It's just what?" asked Ironhide.

"I've…I've never seen a battle before" replied Tailgate "I only just got out of training when I was assigned here. When I started, I thought all I had to do was keep watch here. But now…it's all so sudden. I hope you don't think me a coward but…but I don't want to die"

"I know how you must feel" said Ironhide "Battle can be a real thrill, but going in unprepared can be horrifying; especially when you're not used to it"

"I'm…I'm not sure if I'm ready for this" said Tailgate.

"Don't worry; we'll have entire platoons of the Elite Guard watching our backs" said Ironhide "I promise you, Tailgate; I'll get every last one of you home in one piece"

"Really, sir?" asked Tailgate.

"Of course" said Ironhide "Do you really think Prime gave me such a position if I didn't care. I'll tell you this; high-tech circuitry is no replacement for guts" Tailgate managed a small smile. "Now remember to rest up; we leave at daybreak so you'll need all the strength you can muster"

 _Later_

Ironhide lay asleep in his bed when he heard a loud explosion, followed by screaming. This caused him to instantly wake up and spring to his feet.

"What on Cybertron?" said Ironhide. He grabbed his handheld cannon and ran out of his tent to see the entire camp on fire. "Oh no!" At the center of the flames stood a shadowy figure with large green optics that slowly walked towards him. He instantly raised his cannon and pointed it at the figure. "Hold it!" The figure didn't stop walking. "I said hold it! Stop or I'll shoot!" He fired a shot at the figure, which swung around and vanished shortly before the shot could hit it. Confused as to what happened, he was caught unaware by an uppercut by the mysterious figure and knocked out.

 _Back to reality_

"All the more reason to stop him" said Ratchet "Hopefully; if this one is working alone, it'll be easier to catch then one of Starscream's minions"

"And if it's Starscream?" asked Jazz.

"Then we'll figure it out" said Ratchet.

"Ratchet, I've found something; it's the body of a dead Vehicon in the middle of the road" said Optimus.

"Do you have any idea on what killed it?" asked Ratchet.

"It appears to have been shot by laser bolts" replied Optimus.

"I'm assuming Bumblebee and Arcee did it" said Ratchet.

"Then would mean Starscream did it" said Ironhide.

"Perhaps, unless there was a third party of some sort" said Optimus "Open a ground bridge so we can examine it furth—" There was a loud dragging noise.

"Hello?" said Ratchet "Optimus, are you alright?"

 _Meanwhile_

"Who are you, and why did you attack me?" asked Optimus. As the silhouette looked down, its large green optics pierced right at him. Suddenly, the silhouette leapt down, revealing itself to be a black and green Cybertronian with a somewhat spiky appearance and a long pointed face with black tattoo-like marks; but what drew Optimus's gaze the most was his large scythe-like hook in place of his right hand.

"Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots" said the robot "I was expecting much more from you"

"Who are you?" asked Optimus.

"Call me Lockdown" replied the robot. Optimus retracted out his battle mask and turned his hands into his ion blasters and pointed them at him.

"I do not wish to fight, but stay back" said Optimus.

"That just makes my job easier" said Lockdown. He pointed his right arm at Optimus and shot his hook out on a chain, which latched onto Optimus and drew him in. As Optimus swung forward, Lockdown kicked him in the stomach and slammed his head against the ground. Optimus pulled himself up and swung forward at Lockdown with his energon blade, only for him to swing aside and avoid the strike. Lockdown then got out a small pole which retracted out into a large bo-staff. He began to swing it at Optimus, who avoided it extremely and got himself a great distance away.

"Ratchet, I'm under attack" said Optimus into his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"The assailant calls himself Lockdown and he's unlike anything I've ever seen before" said Optimus through Teletraan I. Ironhide's fists clenched at the sound of that name.

"I'll send help straight away" said Ratchet "In the meantime, try to hold up until we arrive"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus turned his hands into ion blasters and fired shots at Lockdown, who only deflected them with his staff.

"Do you really calling for help is going to make a difference?" said Lockdown "I'll be gone before your friends even arrive" He swung his staff at Optimus who caught it with both hands and held it tight.

"Don't be too sure of that" said Optimus. He pushed it upwards and knocked Lockdown right in the face, causing him to drop the staff and stumble backwards. Optimus walked up to him and pointed his ion blasters at him. "Surrender, Lockdown; for whatever reason you are doing this, it ends now" Suddenly, Lockdown pushed his ion blasters upwards and gave him a big punch in the stomach and launched him over with a kick to the face. "Even if you kill me, it will not destroy the Autobots"

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now" said Lockdown "No; my payer wants much more from you" With a great punch, he knocked Optimus out. At that moment, ground bridge appeared within the ditch with Jazz, Ironhide, and Wheeljack running out prepared for battle. However, there was no sign of either Optimus or Lockdown.

 _Later_

The body of the dead Vehicon lay on Ratchet's medical table.

"And when we got there, there was no sign of them" said Jazz "At least at first sight; we'll go back there to see if we can uncover something" Ratchet checked the screens of Teletraan.

"Strange" said Ratchet "According to the carbon dating, this Vehicon has been dead for eight hours; long before Bumblebee and Arcee even disappeared.

"What reason would the Decepticons have for leaving a dead Vehicon out?" said Wheeljack.

"Perhaps as a diversion or something" said Jazz. Having heard the name from Optimus himself, Ironhide realized that his worst fears had come true.

 _Ironhide's flashback_

Ironhide awoke to find himself trapped in a containment field within a cell.

"So you're Ironhide" said a voice from the shadows "One of Optimus Prime's closest allies. I thought you'd be harder to take out"

"Who are you?" snapped Ironhide "Show yourself!" Lockdown walked out from the shadows (his right arm with a normal hand instead of a hook). "Green optics, ha? What kind of Decepticon are you?"

"None" replied Lockdown "I'm not a Decepticon at all. Merely a bounty hunter; but the Decepticons do pay me well, that's why I take on jobs from them"

"Bounty hunter?" said Ironhide "As soon as I break out I'm going to smack you across Cybertron and—"

"And where are you supposed to go after that?" said Lockdown "You've got nowhere to go back to" Ironhide gave him a look that was a mic of stern and confusion. "What, you seriously don't know what happened? I thought you were smart enough to figure it out by now. While you were out, I made sure your camp was completely, as were your soldiers"

"No!" said Ironhide "You're lying!"

"Why would I lie about that?" said Lockdown.

"How did you even know about our camp?" said Ironhide.

"Megatron caught word that the Elite Guard was going to strike tomorrow and that they were having a brigade of Autobot soldiers to assist him" replied Lockdown "Not to mention that these Autobot soldiers had gotten their hands on some special Decepticon secrets. He wanted you all out, but he wanted it down in a more subtle way"

"I would hardly call what you called subtle" said Ironhide.

"If Megatron didn't want it done with finesse, he would've just bombed all of you" said Lockdown "No, he wanted you all taken out without warning and without preparation" Ironhide bared his teeth and clenched his fists. "Cheer up, Ironhide"

"And why keep me alive?" said Ironhide "Why not just kill like the others?"

"Don't tempt me" smirked Lockdown "Megatron requested that he wanted you alive. I assume it's for information…or maybe he just wants to see you suffer. It's not really my business to think about it"

"So that's where you're taking me now" said Ironhide "Back to Kaon"

"Where else?" said Lockdown "Welcome home"

 _Back to reality_

"Whatever took Optimus no doubt took Bumblebee and Arcee as well" said Jazz.

"What did he say his name was?" said Wheeljack "Lockjaw? Lockbox?"

"Lockdown" said Ironhide "His name is Lockdown"

"Lockdown?" said Wheeljack. Ironhide walked over to Teletraan I.

"Teletraan, bring up all you can on Lockdown" said Ironhide. Teletraan I brought up a data file on Lockdown. Jazz walked up and examined it.

"So he's a bounty hunter?" said Jazz "Not officially affiliated with the Decepticons but does work for them a lot. So he took Optimus"

"But it can't be Lockdown" said Ratchet "Lockdown's dead"

"That's what we wanted to think" said Ironhide "It's not that easy"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee awoke in a cell and they were both stuck in the same containment field.

"What just happened?" said Bumblebee.

"I don't know" replied Arcee "I think the car beat us"

"So Starscream's got himself a new minion" said Bumblebee "And once again we are stuck aboard the _Nemesis_ "

"Hang on, this isn't the _Nemesis_ " said Arcee.

"How can you tell?" asked Bumblebee.

"It looks different" replied Arcee "Plus, wouldn't they have us in different cells?"

"Good point" said Bumblebee "In that case, where are we" At that moment, Lockdown entered the cell. "Who are you?"

"Just someone who's looking to make some money in this war" said Lockdown.

"Wait; you were that car, weren't you?" said Arcee.

"Correct" said Lockdown "So this is what Optimus Prime's army is composed of; a big and a girl"

"Girl?" said Arcee "I'm guessing by the way you say that you mean some offense"

"I just never understood why they thought of adding the concept of gender to our race" said Lockdown "Adding something like that just seemed…illogical"

"Who do you mean by they?" asked Arcee.

"Just something your race wished to forget" replied Lockdown "The fact that you have no idea is the only reason you exist at all"

"What do you want with us?" said Bumblebee.

"Nothing; at the moment, that is" replied Lockdown "But word of advice; if you really want to live, pray that you're truly worth something. Otherwise you'll just be dead weight. Dead weight for me to get rid of" He walked out of the room.

"I have a bad feeling about this" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

"Whoever this "Lockdown" character is, we have to find him" said Jazz "We'll go back to the location and find any trace of him. Ratchet, get a ground bridge up" Ratchet nodded and opened a ground bridge. Jazz and Wheeljack turned to the ground bridge when they noticed that Ironhide stood away from the portal. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, Jazz" replied Ironhide "I'm just sitting this one out"

"You can't do that" said Jazz "If Lockdown is as bad as you say he is, we'll need all the help we can get" Ironhide didn't reply. "Something is wrong, isn't there?"

"What makes you say that?" asked Ironhide.

"Something's eating you" replied Jazz "You're afraid, and you're never afraid" Ironhide felt a hand touch his shoulder. He turned around to see Ratchet standing behind him.

"Ironhide, go with them" said Ratchet "I know it must be difficult to confront something from your past that you didn't tie up; but if you let your pain get in the way of what must be done, you'll only allow such things to happen again" Ironhide took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I'm going with ya'" said Ironhide.

"That's the spirit!" smiled Jazz "Let's go!" The three of them walked through the ground bridge and came out at the ditch. "Last time we were here, we went back to base the moment we found the Vehicon's body. There's just bound to be things we skimmed over"

"Hey; I think I found something" said Wheeljack "Look; footprints" Footprints were indeed bedded in the sand and rocks.

"No drag marks" said Jazz "If he can carry Optimus so away, he's even stronger than we thought" Wheeljack began to follow the footprints carefully. "So anyways; is there something between you and Lockdown?"

"Why do you ask that?" asked Ironhide.

"Well, you were reluctant to come with us and you've been pretty distant even since Optimus's capture" replied Jazz "Did he do something to you?" Ironhide sighed.

"He did, way in the past" replied Ironhide "Something…something that I'll never forget"

"What was it?" asked Jazz.

"I don't like talking about it" replied Ironhide "But given the situation, perhaps it is better if I told you. He—"

"Hey guys, the footprints are gone" said Wheeljack.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jazz.

"They stop right here" replied Wheeljack. Jazz walked up to the end of the footprint track, which was far from the end of the ditch.

"It just stops here" said Jazz "There's gotta' be something else; any signs of a recently departed ship?"

"If the ship had taken off, there'd be marks in the ground and what not" replied Wheeljack "And I can't see anything"

"If he used a ground bridge, or worse a space bridge, he could be halfway across the galaxy by now" said Jazz. Wheeljack looked off into the distance.

"Perhaps—" said Wheeljack. Just as he stepped forward, he banged his face into something hard. "Ah!"

"What's wrong?" asked Jazz. Wheeljack knocked twice against the air in front of him, with the sound of solid metal.

"There's something in front of us" replied Wheeljack "Hold on!" He picked up a handful of dust and threw it at the air in front of him, revealing a starship's door.

"Well, there's a door" said Jazz.

"A cloaking device" said Ironhide "That's how he disappeared before we arrived"

"They never left at all" said Jazz. He walked up to the door and examined it. "Looks like you open it via panel. But it's probably well protected so—"

"I'll give it a shot" said Wheeljack. He ran up to the panel and started tinkering with it.

"Wait, Wheeljack!" exclaimed Jazz "Stop that before—" The door opened up wide. "Wow! You…actually did it"

"Yeah, slicing security always was my speed" said Wheeljack "I probably didn't tell you because I don't get to use the skill much"

"That's…useful" said Jazz "Now let's get our friends back"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus awoke to find himself lying down on a slab and strapped down. He tried to break himself free but found himself unable to break free of the straps.

"Don't bother; those straps can hold a rampaging warwhale" said Lockdown as he entered "And I've tested it myself"

"Where am I?" asked Optimus.

"You're onboard my ship, the Death's Head" replied Lockdown "Don't bother contacting anyone, comm-devices don't work in here"

"What do you want with me?" asked Optimus.

"Right to the point, that's good" said Lockdown "You see; it's not what I want with you, it's what my payer wants with you"

"Who is your payer?" asked Optimus.

"That's not for you to know just yet" replied Lockdown.

"Whoever you're working for, I'll make sure you are well payed if you release me and leave this planet" said Optimus.

"You see, I can't do that; it's bad for business" said Lockdown "But now that you mention it; now that I have you here and perfectly conscious, I may as well increase my payment" He pulled down a device that covered the sides of Optimus's head and began to glow as it powered up. "You may feel a slight stinging" The device lit up even brighter and caused Optimus to writhe in pain.

 _Meanwhile_

"What's that noise?" said Bumblebee.

"Nothing good, I assume" said Arcee. At that moment, the door to the cell opened up and Jazz and Wheeljack stepped through.

"Jazz, Wheeljack!" said Bumblebee.

"Let's get you two down" said Wheeljack. He sliced into the containment field's terminal and freed the two of them.

"Now all we need to do is find Optimus" said Jazz.

"Wait, Optimus was captured too?" said Bumblebee "We have to find him!"

"And that's just what we're going to do" said Jazz "But we have to be careful; from what I heard, Lockdown may just be one of the most dangerous transformers alive" He turned to the doorway when he realized something was different. "Hey, where's Ironhide?"

 _Meanwhile_

Ironhide walked down the corridors and his memories began to drift back fast and more vividly than before.

 _Ironhide's flashback_

Ironhide helplessly closed his eyes, feeling that he had indeed failed everyone. Suddenly, an alarm rang and the door opened to reveal Tailgate, his right hand turned into a blaster and holding a pike in his left hand.

"Commander Ironhide!" said Tailgate.

"Tailgate…you're alive" said Ironhide.

"Hold on a sec" said Tailgate. He shot at the controls for the containment field and Ironhide dropped down. "I hid when the attack came and snuck aboard this ship as soon as I saw him take you in. Here, I found this; he must have left it when he took you" He handed Ironhide his handheld cannon.

"Quickly, let's get out of here" said Ironhide. The two of them left the cell and walked down the hallway. "If we move quickly we might just make it before he reaches Kaon" Suddenly, a blaster shot went through his shoulder and he fell to the ground. Tailgate looked behind them to see Lockdown standing there with a handheld blaster.

"You've got a few tricks up your sleeve" said Lockdown "Too bad it isn't enough" Tailgate turned both his hands into his blasters and began shooting at Lockdown, who merely dodged the shots. He charged up to Tailgate and held him by the wrists. Tailgate desperately ripped himself free, grabbed ahold of his pike, and stabbed it through Lockdown's chest…but to no effect whatsoever.

"Impossible!" said Ironhide as he lifted his head up. Lockdown smirked and grabbed ahold of Tailgate by the neck.

"You've lost, kid" smirked Lockdown. He got out his handheld blaster and shot Tailgate in the face.

"Tailgate!" exclaimed Ironhide. Lockdown pulled the pike out of his chest and turned to Ironhide, lifting his chin up with it.

"I would reunite you with your soldier, but I'm still on the job" said Lockdown "So it's back to the cell" Ironhide bared his teeth, grabbed ahold of the pike, and pulled it from his hands. "Then again, Megatron never specified anything about you arriving **undamaged** " He started shooting at Ironhide who grabbed ahold of his blaster cannon and began shooting back. "Tough, huh? Let's see how hard your shell really is" He grabbed a grenade from his belt and was about to throw it when Ironhide shot at, causing it to explode and destroy his right forearm. "Ah!" Ironhide ran back down the corridors and found what he assumed was the door to outside. He ripped it open and found himself miles in the air above a barren wasteland. Looking back for just a second, he leapt forward and rolled down a large outcrop, knocking himself unconscious in the process.

 _Later_

As Ironhide awoke, he found a bright light shining down on him.

"Easy, easy" said a voice "Just relax"

"No!" exclaimed Ironhide. He shot up and pushed someone out of the way. As his optics adjusted to the light, he found himself in an Autobot medical facility. "What happened?"

"It's alright" said a voice "We found you before the Decepticons could" Ironhide turned to see Ratchet standing there.

"Tailgate…" said Ironhide.

"Who's Tailgate?" asked Ratchet.

 _Back to reality_

As the light from the device disappeared, a disc popped out of it.

"Yknow, it occurred to me; now that I have you, I don't have need for the other two" said Lockdown whilst grabbing ahold of the disc "When this is over, I might just dismantle them for spare parts" He turned over to a computer screen and activated it, bringing up a transmission for Starscream.

"Lockdown, do you have what I want?" asked Starscream.

"I do" said Lockdown whilst standing aside to reveal Optimus.

"Good work" said Starscream "Your reputation truly precedes you. Bring him back to the _Nemesis_ immediately"

"What are you expecting to get out of him?" asked Lockdown.

"Excuse me?" said Starscream.

"Are you expecting the leader of the Autobots to willingly sell out his own kind?" said Lockdown "Do you think your interrogation is enough? I can give you a shortcut" He revealed the disc in his hands. "This disc contains all of his memories, and I assume information like the location of the Autobot base"

"You've truly excelled yourself, bounty hunter" said Starscream "Get over to the _Nemesis_ immediately" Ironhide silently entered the room

"Hold on" said Lockdown "This is a pretty big thing. At first, I was merely handing you the Autobot leader; but now, I'm handing you both him and all his greatest secrets"

"What are you saying?" asked Starscream.

"I want my pay tripled, or I'm not delivering anything" replied Lockdown. Ironhide silently crept up to Optimus.

"I didn't pay you for this!" snapped Starscream.

"You know, the Autobots could provide a better price" said Lockdown. Ironhide released Optimus from the straps and began to help him up.

"They won't be able to pay you more" said Starscream.

"They might, since they're desperate" smirked Lockdown.

"Whatever game you're playing with me…wait, what's that?" said Starscream. Lockdown grabbed a dagger and threw it at Ironhide's wrist. Ironhide pulled the dagger out of his wrist.

"Hello, Ironhide" said Lockdown "Long time, no see. You know, you took something from me long ago"

"I've got no time for this, Lockdown" said Ironhide "Back off"

"No" said Lockdown "You've got my bounty, and that's bad for business. And as I recall, you took more than just my payment on that fateful day long ago" He lifted up his hook.

"You should thank me, it appears to have been an improvement" said Ironhide.

"You don't say" said Lockdown. He shot the hook forward, grabbed Ironhide by the wrist, and pulled him forward where he punched him in the face. Ironhide hopped up and shot twice at him with his cannons, only for Lockdown to duck the shots which hit the computer screen instead. Lockdown got out his bo-staff and swung forward with it, hitting Ironhide in the chest. Ironhide grabbed ahold of it, only for Lockdown to knock him in the head and send him back. He then retracted a blade out of the end of the staff and stabbed Ironhide in the shoulder with it, pinning him to the wall. "Underneath the surface, you're soft. Face it, Ironhide; no matter how hard you try, you can't save everyone. Need I remind you about Tailgate?" Ironhide ripped himself free of the bo-staff and pulled it from Lockdown's hands. He swung forward with the bo-staff, only for Lockdown to grab the end of it, pull Ironhide in, and shoot him in the face with his handheld blaster. At that moment, Jazz and the others entered. Lockdown turned to face them as they turned their hands into their blasters and pointed them at him.

"Hands up, Lockdown!" said Jazz "We have you outnumbered" Suddenly, Lockdown transformed and rammed into Jazz before he could even react. Wheeljack started shooting at him, only for Lockdown to shoot out his electric cables and stun him and run him over. Bumblebee and Arcee began shooting at him, but he transformed and charged at them. He grabbed Arcee's wrist with his hook and threw her into the ground and stamped on her back. Bumblebee leapt onto his back and attempted to pull him down, only for Lockdown to counter it by falling on his back and slamming Bumblebee onto the ground. Jazz got up and threw a punch, only for Lockdown to grab him by the wrist and snap his arm in the middle.

"AH!" exclaimed Jazz. Lockdown punched him in the throat and threw him to the ground.

"You're overrated, kid" said Lockdown. Bumblebee leapt up and began shooting at Lockdown, only for Lockdown to shoot out his hook, grab Bumblebee by the wrist, pull him in, and punch him in the face. Lockdown grabbed him by the neck and held him up. "I don't usually bother with pests, but you're getting on my nerves" Ironhide lifted his head up; and as soon as he saw Lockdown holding Bumblebee up, he instantly remembered how Lockdown killed Tailgate. He transformed and rammed right into Lockdown and slammed him into the wall. He then transformed and began punching Lockdown continuously, until the bounty hunter caught his wrist, stood himself up, and give him a head-butt. Ironhide saw the bo-staff lying on the floor and grabbed ahold of it. Lockdown turned his left hand into a chainsaw and mauled it into Ironhide's chest. Ironhide desperately punched upwards, stabbed him in the chest with the bo-staff, and pinned him into the wall. Lockdown raised his left hand to free himself, but Ironhide pinned his wrist against the wall with the dagger. "Good job. But you of all should know that this won't hold me, and I've got no spark to extinguish"

"Then I guess I'll just have to blow your head off!" said Ironhide. He raised his cannons and charged them up.

"Ironhide…don't…" said Optimus whilst getting himself up.

"Optimus, he's too dangerous to be kept alive" said Ironhide "The fact that I got the better of him was just luck"

"I know how dangerous he is, but killing him like this is not the Autobot way" said Optimus "Remember that, Ironhide; remember that" After a moment's hesitation, Ironhide lowered his cannons.

"I knew it, you never had the stomach" said Lockdown. Ironhide punched him in the face.

"Let's get you home" said Ironhide.

"Hold on…" said Optimus. He walked over and picked up the disc. "This disc contains my memories; if the Decepticons get their hands on it—"

"It'll be bad" said Ironhide "Let's destroy it"

"Not here" said Optimus "We'll take it back to base first; if a fragment survives, we'll risk everything" The six Autobots walked out of the room, with Jazz and Wheeljack carrying Lockdown over their shoulders. "I understand this must be hard on you, Ironhide. I remember that day as well as you"

"They were under my command, and I got every last one of them killed" said Ironhide.

"It wasn't your fault, you had no idea of what was going to happen" said Optimus "We all have things that we want to go back and fix; but the past is the past, you cannot change it any more than you can prevent the sun from rising or setting"

"But how do I stop it from happening again?" asked Ironhide.

"Accept the past but also understand it" said Optimus "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" As Lockdown slowly opened his optics; he pulled himself free of Jazz and Wheeljack and walked back down the hallways.

"Don't move another step!" said Ironhide whilst holding his cannons up at Lockdown.

"Word of advice; if you want to get out, get out now" said Lockdown. He closed over a door in the hallway which blocked him off from the Autobots.

"Scrap, he got away!" said Wheeljack. Suddenly, the whole hallway began to shake.

"This way, we have to get out of here" said Ironhide.

 _Meanwhile_

As the six of them reached the door, the cloak for _Death's Head_ deactivated.

"Oh snap!" said Jazz. As the large crimson ship rose up, the six of them leapt down and landed.

"Get to the top!" said Optimus. As the six of them climbed out of the ditch, Lockdown looked down at them from the cockpit.

"Should've finished me off when you had the chance" said Lockdown. As Optimus and the others reached the top, Lockdown fired a shot.

"Watch out!" exclaimed Optimus. The six of them ducked down. Lockdown began shooting rapidly at them. "Ratchet, open a ground bridge, now!" A ground bridge opened up behind them and they ran through it.

"Optimus, thank the AllSpark you're back" said Ratchet. He walked over to Optimus. "Come; I'll look over you in the medical bay. You too, Bumblebee and Arcee"

"Thank you…" said Optimus "All of you" As he left the room with Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Arcee, Ironhide managed a small smile.

"Why did Lockdown want you?" asked Ratchet.

"Starscream hired him to capture me for him" replied Optimus.

"He just won't give up, will he?" said Bumblebee.

"That's Starscream for you" said Arcee. It was then that Optimus realized that something was missing.

"The disc!" exclaimed Optimus "The disc is gone!"

"What disc?" asked Ratchet.

"Lockdown copied my memories onto a disc and tried to sell it off to Starscream" replied Optimus "I got ahold of it, but I must have dropped it when we were escaping"

"In that case, we'll have to find it" said Ratchet "If the Decepticons get ahold of that disc, we'll be in more trouble than ever before"

 _Meanwhile_

The disc lay motionless in the middle of the road. Suddenly, a yellow 2016 Dodge Viper race car with byzantium stripes showed up and stopped right in front of it.

 **kira444** : Wow; thanks for the advice on Human villains, I'll be sure to incorporate them when I find the right opportunity.

 **jojobinks01** : Don't worry; more Autobots are on their way.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Thanks for all the reviews; I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far.


	12. Training Days

**Author's note** : In order to make the Blitzwing personas easier to convey I've decided to make a key for it. Regular is for Icy persona, **Bold** is for Hothead persona, and _Italics_ for Random persona.

 _Nevada_

Bumblebee was thrown back into a large rock.

"So much for being a big hero, Autobot" said Blitzwing as he walked up to him "You're not even big at all" He pointed his back cannons at Bumblebee and fired ice missiles at him, but he leapt aside just in time.

"Sometimes little can go a long way, three-face!" said Bumblebee. He transformed and drove back

"Do you really think you could simply run away?" said Blitzwing. He transformed into jet mode and flew after him, transforming and blocking him off. "There's no escape, Autobot. It would wise to surrender" At that moment, Astrotrain flew down and transformed behind Bumblebee.

"What he said" said Astrotrain.

"No thank you!" smirked Bumblebee. At that moment, Breakaway flew down and Bumblebee transformed and grabbed on.

"Eh; I hate it when they do that!" snapped Astrotrain. He and Blitzwing transformed and flew after them. As they flew through the air, Bumblebee looked back at the two triple-changers and let go of Breakaway.

"Bee, what are you doing?" exclaimed Breakaway. Bumblebee landed on top of Blitzwing and pulled him down until they both crashed into a cliff and fell to the ground.

" **Oh; so that's how you like to party, bug, hmm?** " said Blitzwing " **Eat this then!** " He fired flame blasts from his back cannons and Bumblebee rolled to the side, getting burned on his leg in the process.

"AHHH!" exclaimed Bumblebee.

" **Hurts, doesn't it, Bug?!** " said Blitzwing " **Want some more?** " As he charged up his back cannons, Arcee leapt on him from behind and pulled the cannons up as they fired at the sky. " **What in the—** "

"Remember me, Blitzbrain?" smirked Arcee.

" **You!** " snapped Blitzwing. He fell onto his back and crushed Arcee and he then threw her into the wall of the cliff. He walked up to her to finish her off but she ducked as he threw a punch. She then transformed and attemped to escape, only for Blitzwing to grab her by the back wheel and hold her in place. " _The wheels on the bike go round and round, round and round, round and round! The wheels on the bike round and round, all day—_ "

"Blitzwing cut that out and get over here!" snapped Astrotrain "Barricade just informed me that he got the last of the energon back to the _Nemesis_. Let's get out of here before any more Autobots show up" Blitzwing threw Arcee aside and followed Astrotrain through the ground bridge portal.

"No…" said Bumblebee as he looked up.

 _A few minutes later_

"I know you've done some rash action in the past, Bumblebee" said Prowl "But taking on Decepticons whilst patrolling when we specifically told you not to, that's just suicide"

"What was I suppose to do, Prowl?" said Bumblebee "I couldn't just stand by and let those Decepticons get away with taking the energon like that"

"But they got all that anyway" said Prowl.

"Take it easy, Prowl" said Jazz.

"Yeah, Bee just wanted to do good" said Bulkhead.

"This isn't about good intentions, this is about decision making" said Prowl "And he made the wrong one"

"You know, I'm still here" said Bumblebee "It's just rude to identify me as "he""

"Enough!" said Prowl "From this point you are confined to your quarters. No one is to visit you until Optimus returns from patrol and decides on the situation" Bumblebee stood up and looked Prowl right in the optics.

"You've always gone hard on me!" snapped Bumblebee "Why don't you just leave me alone for once!" He stormed off down the hallway to his room with Arcee watching him and sighing.

 **Training Days**

 _The Ark_

"So where is Bumblebee?" asked Melody.

"He's still in the _Ark_ , he's just confined to his room at the moment" replied Arcee.

"Why's that?" asked Melody.

"He got into trouble with Prowl and…well, you know what Prowl's like" said Arcee "He's not the easiest Autobot to get along with" Unbknowst to Arcee, Prowl was walking through the hallway near them and stopped at the sound of his name. He hid out of sight to avoid being seen.

"Has Prowl always been like that?" asked Melody.

"Pretty much, to be honest" replied Arcee "Him and Bee have never got along well; I guess they just find each other at each other's throats a lot"

"You and Bee team up a lot" said Melody "You make a pretty good team, I must admit"

"Yeah; I mean, he is my partner after all" said Arcee.

"And how long have you two been partners for?" asked Melody.

"Since I first met him" replied Arcee "It was just before we entered the war; we were at the end of training and ready to step out onto the frontlines"

 _Arcee's flashbacks_

Bumblebee ran across a white and clear terrain. A pair of Vehicons popped up and started shooting at him, only for Bumblebee to dodge the shots and shoot back at them. The Vehicons vanished upon being shot because they were merely training holograms. A group of Vehicons popped up behind him and aim their blasters at him, only to get plowed down by a green Cybertronian bulldozer which transformed into Bulkhead.

"Good move, Bulk" said Bumblebee. A Vehicon popped up in front of him, only to get punched in the face. Another Vehicon approached them, only for a yellow Cybertronian car to drive up behind it, transformed into an Autobot with blue optics, and kicked it over. Suddenly, another Vehicon popped up behind him and shot him in the shoulder.

"Ah!" exclaimed the yellow Autobot "No!" The Vehicon was knocked over by a speeding white and red Cybertronian ambulance van which transformed into a female Autobot with blue optics and a red face.

"Hold still" said the female Autobot whilst crouching to his side and examining his arm "Fortunatly it doesn't look too severe. Your arm should be fine, Sunstreaker"

"Forget the arm!" said Sunstreaker "What about my paint job!" The female Autobot merely rolled her optics at this. Bumblebee rushed forward and transformed into a Cybertronian car to help him acclerate, knocking down the Vehicons in his path. Suddenly, a similar green Cybertronian car knocked him out of his way.

"Hey!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He skidded around and sped after the green car. "What are you doing?"

"Just taking the lead, which is more than I can say for you now" replied the green car.

"We're in the middle of a training routine, there's no time for things like this, Wasp" said Bumblebee. From atop the training area, a room overlooked them. At the front of the room stood a purple female Autobot with blue optics.

"Bumblebee and Wasp don't seem to get along well" said Elita One (the female Autobot).

"I know, but they've always been like that" said Prowl who stood at her side.

"Have you tried reasoning with them?" asked Elita.

"We've tried a lot of things to get them out of argueing, but nothing's worked" replied Prowl.

"I think Bumblebee is fine, it's Wasp who needs to change" said Kup (a somewhat elderly teal blue Autobot).

"I appreciate the compassion, Kup; but I think both sides here are at fault" said Prowl.

"Sunstreaker doesn't seem very coorapative" said Elita.

"He simply cares more about his paint job than the rest of the battle" said Prowl "And it's certainly a priority above helping his teammates out""

"Both Red Alert and Bulkhead seem to be brought down by the rest of the group" said Elita.

"And they would function better if under better direction" said Prowl. Wasp skidded back and knocked Bumblebee to the side.

"What the heck?" said Bumblebee.

"This is going to my victory, not yours!" snapped Wasp.

"What's wrong with you?" said Bumblebee. Wasp bumped into him again.

"Stay back, beeper!" snapped Wasp "I'm warning you!"

"Okay then!" said Bumblebee. He pushed Wasp to the side so hard that he went flying aside and through the out-of-bounds line, triggering an alarm.

"Training exercise: Failed" said the computer voice. Bumblebee transformed at the sound of this.

"What?" said Bumblebee. At that moment, Wasp transformed, angrily stormed over to Bumblebee, and pushed him. "What was that for?"

"You caused us to fail!" snapped Wasp.

"I didn't know you go that far" said Bumblebee.

"I told you to leave to me!" snapped Wasp "Instead, you had to go and wreck it for the rest of us!"

"You weren't exactly helping us yourself" said Bumblebee.

"I have a dream!" snapped Wasp "I dream of becoming an Elite Guard commander who's destined for greatness, and I won't let you or anyone else shatter it!"

"Including yourself?" said Bumblebee. Wasp clenched his teeth, balled his hand into a fist, and was about to punch him.

"Enough!" said Prowl as he entered "You all failed because of your failure to cooperate"

"But Sarge, we could've got through if it wasn't for Bumblebee pushing me!" snapped Wasp.

"A response that was triggered by your boosting and arrogance" said Prowl "As far as I'm conerned, both sides are at fault"

"I think you might be going a little too hard on them, Prowl" said Kup "They're still young and have much to—"

"Do you think the Decepticons are going to go easy on them?" said Prowl "We're here to prepare them for war, not to send them to their deaths"

"You think you're Optimus Prime, don't you?" said Wasp "You think you're the big man and that everything revolves around you. Guess what, sarge, you're not"

"Optimus is busy leading a war, that's why he got me to oversee your training" said Prowl "And while I'm in charge, I'll make sure you go through ready. For now, training's over; and for your sake, you had better pull together"

"Way to go, yellow!" snapped Wasp. Bumblebee sighed.

 _Later_

Bumblebee walked into his quarters. He walked over to the window and looked out. He closed his optics momentarily before punching the wall.

"Try to take it easy, Bumblebee" said a voice. Bumblebee spun around to see Kup standin in the doorway.

"Oh; it's just you, Kup" said Bumblebee relieved.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Kup.

"What; no, of course not" said Bumblebee "What would give you the impression?"

"Over the last few weeks, I've noticed that you've become very torubled and upset" said Kup "If you have any problems, just tell me; it's better if you talk about them" Bumblebee sighed and collapsed himself onto his bed.

"Okay, fine" said Bumblebee "Ever since I joined this squad, everyone's been going hard on me. Prowl's always scowlding at me and the rest of my squad hate me for screwing everything up"

"No, they don't hate you" said Kup whilst sitting beside Bumblebee "They're just…stressed, the same as you"

"Wasp was right, I messed everything up" said Bumblebee "We failed that exercise because I let my temper get the better of me"

"Said by someone who let his own ego get the better of him, even Prowl admitted to that" said Kup "It's difficult, I know; training to be part of the army let alone the Elite Guard is no easy feat. When I was your age and training to become a member of the Elite Guard, I went through the exact same thing; and that was long before the war even started"

"But…But…I can't do it, sarge" said Bumblebee "Perhaps I should quit, it would be better for everyone else"

"No; you're a brave fighter, Bee" said Kup "If you leave now, it would be our loss. I know it's hard at the moment, but you never stop trying; no matter how hard life drags you down, you always find a way to pull yourself back up" Bumblebee sighed again.

"Maybe you're right" said Bumblebee "I just wish…I just wish I had a little more support" Kup scratched his chin in thought.

 _A few minutes later_

"Bee is upset because he feels unsupported in this matter" said Kup.

"All the more reason why they should band together more" said Prowl.

"Perhaps they would find it easier to band together if you didn't push them around so much" said Kup.

"I push them around for their own good" said Prowl.

"I've seen you push them day after day, they're no closer to becoming a proper team than they were the day they joined" said Kup.

"Maybe because you keep interfering instead of leaving them to stand up for themselves" said Prowl.

"That's enough" said Elita "I understand both your points and I respect them; but whatever's happening is not working"

"Then what should we do then?" asked Kup.

"It's clear that the problem lies with Bumblebee" said Elita "If he feels unappreciated than it'll only make it difficult for everyone else. He needs extra support on the matter?"

"And what would you suggest?" asked Prowl.

"Perhaps a transfer" replied Elita One "Back at the training facility in Metrotitan, I've found a top student. She's very crafty and is willing to help her comrades at any cost. If we bring her here and assign her as Bumblebee's partner it could help his self-esteem"

"We'll ive it a go then" said Kup.

 _Later_

Bumblebee lay on his bed with his eyes closed but not sleeping. At that moment, Kup entered.

"Bumblebee, get up" said Kup "There's somone I want you to meet"

"Who is it?" asked Bumblebee whilst sitting himself up.

"Come and see" replied Kup. Bumblebee got himself up and followed him out into the hallway. Kup brought Bumblebee to the landing pad outside the facility where a small ship had just landed. Standing outside the ship was Elita and by her side was Arcee. Arcee immediately turned to face Bumblebee, smiled, and rushed up to him.

"So you must be Bumblebee" said Arcee whilst shaking Bumblebee's hand "Please to meet you"

"Who are you?" asked Bumblebee.

"Name's Arcee" replied Arcee "I'm a transfer from Metrotitan"

"Um…Kup said you wanted to meet me" said Bumblebee.

"Oh yeah; I've been assigned to be your new partner" said Arcee.

"Partner?" said Bumblebee.

"Yeah, partner; it means I'll assist you on the battlefield" said Arcee.

"I know what it means but…" said Bumblebee. There was a short silence.

"You weren't expecting a partner?" said Arcee. Bumblebee nodded nervously. "Oh, sorry; Elita One requested my transfer and organized me to be your partner" Bumblebee looked over at Elita One.

"Um…I'm not sure if I need a partner" said Bumblebee.

"Nonsense, everyone needs help from time to time" said Arcee. She grabbed Bumblebee by the wrists and pulled him over to the hallway. "C'mon; how about a workout, to get to know each other. Show me to the training room"

 _Meanwhile in the training room_

Wasp punched a model of a Vehicon various times fueriously.

"Careful, you don't want to wear yourself out quickly" said Red Alert.

"I know what I'm doing!" snapped Wasp "Mind your own business!"

"Sorry" said Red Alert sarcharastically. Wasp punched the Vehicon model over and over again until he gave it a powerful kick and knocked it over.

"Uh…I was actually hoping to try it out after you" said Bulkhead.

"Oh yeah; then just pick it up!" snapped Wasp "It shouldn't be too hard from a big guy like you!"

"Take it easy, Wasp" said Red Alert" You're under a great lot of stress at the moment, you should calm down"

"Calm?!" snapped Wasp "I need to be at my best and you think I should slack off?!"

"Well, not exactly that—" said Red Alert.

"One day, I'm going to be above all of you!" snapped Wasp.

"If you really want to get up that far, then you need to take it one step at a time" said Red Alert "If you go for it all at once, you'll just end up not achieving anything and hurting yourself"

"And what would you know of that?" said Wasp "You're just a medic"

"I'm a field medic, I 'm trained in combat as much as the rest of you" said Red Alert "And that just makes me understand pain even more"

"Just mind your own business and leave me alone!" snapped Wasp.

"Now that's just nasty" said Sunstreaker. At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee entered the room which drew everyone's attention.

"So…this is the training room" said Bumblebee.

"It's just like the one back on Metrotitan" said Arcee. She looked over in the corner and saw a rack with bo-staffs. She rushed over to have a look at it. "Amazing!"

"So Bee, who's the new girl?" asked Bulkhead.

"Oh; everyone, this is Arcee the new transfer" said Bumblebee. Wasp walked up to Arcee and placed his hand on the wall beside them.

"Hello" said Wasp.

"Um…hello" said Arcee "Do you mind introducing yourself?"

"Call me Wasp" replied Wasp "I see that you're looking at the staffs"

"Yeah, we used to practice with these back at Metrotitan" said Arcee.

"Y'know; if you'd like to, you could practice with me" said Wasp "I mean, if you're not busy"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I am busy" said Arcee "I've been assigned to be Bee's new partner and I was hoping to do a workout with him" Wasp tried to hide his disappointment and anger. "But now that you mention it…" She grabbed a bo-staff and threw it to Bumblebee who caught it. "Let's practice with these" She grabbed a bo-staff of her own.

"What…" said Bumblebee "But…I haven't really practiced with these before"

"There's a first time for everything" smirked Arcee. The two of them walked over to the center of the room.

"So…any tips on how to handle this thing?" asked Bumblebee.

"Just try to block my shots with it" replied Arcee. She swung forward with it. As Bumblebee attemped to block the shot, he was too late and got knocked down.

"Ha!" laughed Wasp.

"Good try" said Arcee whilst helping Bumblebee up "Let's do it again" She swung forward and Bumblebee blocked it this time, only to get swept off his feet by a second shot.

"But I didn't even…even…" said Bumblebee.

"Try to be open for multiple shots" said Arcee.

"I'll keep that in mind" said Bumblebee. He stood himself up and prepared for the oncoming attacks. Arcee struck at him but he blocked it. She then was about to sweep him off his feet, only to get blocked off. She then swung up and his head, but he blocked it.

"Good job" said Arcee. Suddenly, the pushed forward and knokced him in the chest with her bo-staff.

"What the heck?" said Bumblebee.

"Try to be open for unpredictable attacks" said Arcee "Let's try again" Bumblebee got himself up over and over again for the next hour; and no matter how hard he tried to block all of the attacks, he would always find himself on the floor and Arcee would repeat the words "Let's try again". After the eleventh time, he got himself up and walked off. "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm done with training for the day" said Bumblebee.

"Oh, okay then" said Arcee "Perhaps we could just hang out then"

"No thanks" said Bumblebee "I'll just be in my room" He left the training room.

"Did…Did I do something wrong?" said Arcee.

 _A few minutes later_

"I'm not sure what the problem is, but I think I really upset him" said Arcee.

"Can you describe the sparring match?" asked Elita.

"Well, we used bo-staffs and I told him to block my attacks" replied Arcee "I think he picked up on it well but…well, I think it upset him in the end"

"Was there anything else?" asked Elita.

"Well…I beat him, a lot actually" admitted Arcee.

"Arcee, I made you Bumblebee's partner because he was finding training difficult here" said Elita "You have to take it slowly with him before moving on higher. Beating him constantly is not going to help him"

"Although it could convince them to try harder" said Prowl as he entered.

"Arcee, could you please leave us" said Elita. Arcee left the room, but secretly stayed at the door and eavesdropped the moment she heard them start talking again. "And how would that help?"

"If up against incredible odds, it can motivate oneself to go further than before" said Prowl.

"Are you implying something?" asked Elita "Because if you are, it makes no sense"

"It's the only logical way to drive troops well" said Prowl

"Wait a second, have you intentionally been making it more difficult so that the troops go further?" said Elita.

"And what would give you that idea?" asked Prowl.

"Even since I arrived for inspection, I noticed that things here have been less progressive than at the other training facilities" said Elita "At first I thought it was just perspective, but if you are intentionally making things harder than they supposed to be—" Arcee felt intense fear run through her veins and ran off as quick as she could without being noticed.

"All I want is to make them strong" said Prowl "I don't want the enemy to get the better of them"

"Breaking them is not the way" said Elita.

"Sometimes steel is forged in fire" said Prowl "It is always a pain to liht the flame, but it has to be done in order to reach true potential"

"Enough; I will have no more of this" said Elita "Reset the training programs to their proper settings or I will let Optimus know of all of this. And I think you know well that Optimus would listen to me over you"

"It will be done" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee lay panting on his bed. At that moment, Arcee entered.

"Hello" said Arcee "Mind if I join you"

"I'm not doing anything exciting at the moment; but yeah, sure" said Bumblebee. Arcee sat on the bed next to him. "Is there any reason you came in here for?" Arcee breathed a sigh.

"Bumblebee, I'm sorry for going difficult on you before" said Arcee "When I heard of the transfer, I was thrilled to be meeting new bots. I was expecting everything to be just like how it was back at Metrotitan. It's just so…different"

"It's not the best, but you get used to it after a while" said Bumblebee.

"So...can you give me a rundown on the base?" asked Arcee "I've still got much to learn from here"

"I've been here for about two deca-cycles" replied Bumblebee "When I first joined the camp, I thought it would be great; but it was hardly what I was expecting either. Prowl always brerathes down my neck whenever things go wrong; I almost feel like he has a bias against me" It was then that Arcee realized that she couldn't tell him about what she had overheard, at least not yet anyway.

"That must be torture" said Arcee.

"Tell me about it" said Bumblebee "It feels like he's expecting so much from us yet isn't bothering to accept anything good"

"So what can you tell me about the rest of your group?" asked Arcee.

"Bulkhead came here from one of the moons of Cybertron" said Bumblebee "He's a bit better at breaking things than building them, despite he's his dream to work with space bridges somehow. Red Alert's the heart of the group; she's always making sure we're in good shape and prepared for anything. Sunstreaker meanwhile is all about winning, as long as it dosen't damage him in the process; no point point being the fastest car on Cybertron when you're head's all beat up like you've been through a crusher. I heard he's got a twin brother working in another training facility; it's a shame to break them up, I heard they make quite a good team"

"And what about Wasp?" asked Arcee.

"Well…he's the most determined one of us, but he seems a little too focused on becoming first over the rest of us" said Bumblebee "What makes it worse is that he dosen't tell us why"

"Hey Bee; when you're ready, we could go back to the training room and spar again" said Arcee.

"You sure?" said Bumblebee "You're not going to beat me up again"

"I'll try not to" smirked Arcee. Bumblebee smiled.

 _Later_

Bumblebee and Arcee stood at the center of the training room with bo-staffs in their hands.

"I realized the problem before was that I was giving you my all when you weren't prepared in this form of combat" said Arcee "I tend to get carried away with this sort of stuff. But don't worry; I'll hold back this time, let you get used to fighting like this before getting more serious about it" said Arcee. She walked towards him and swung forward (notably with less force this time) with Bumblebee blocking it easily. "Good job" She swung at him again and he blocked her again. She swun forward again and got blocked yet again. "You're doing great"

"I'm guessing there's going to be a drawback that you're going to point out" said Bumblebee.

"No drawbacks" said Arcee "Not this time" She leapt back. "Good job for today. Keep this up and you might just master this skill"

 _Two weeks later_

Over the next three weeks, Bumblebee and Arcee practiced both bo-staff fighting and various other fighting techniques in the training room. Bulkhead, Red Alert, and Sunstreaker would occasionally stop by to watch them. Eventually one day, Bumblebee and Arcee stood at the center of the training room yet again with bo-staffs.

"You've done well over the past two weeks" said Arcee "Now we'll see if you're up to stuff with staffs"

"I'm ready" said Bumblebee.

"I request one thing" said Arcee "Don't hold back, even for a minute" She leapt at him and struck down her bo-staff at Bumblebee, only for it to be met by his. The two of them dueled with eachothers bo-staffs. "You've improved a lot. But is it enough?"

"We'll see very shortly" said Bumblebee. He struck forward and was able to drive her back.

"Little aggressive" said Arcee "I like it"

"Really?" smirked Bumblebee. Arcee met her bo-staff with his over and over again.

"It almost feels like dancing, dosen't it?" smirked Arcee. With a swift swipe, Bumblebee knocked her off her feet and kncokled her across the room. He was pleased at first, until realizing that she wasn't getting herself up.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Bumblebee whilst rushing to her side "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" Arcee slowly lifted her head.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, Bee" said Arcee with a smile "Good job"

"Wait, good job?" said Bumblebee.

"You beat me, so good job" said Arcee "We're now equals" Bumblebee smiled.

 _Later_

"Attention, final test will be held today" said Kup through the intercom "We will decide your grades then"

"Well, better get yourself ready" said Bumblebee "These training programs really mess you up. At times, I wonder if they just make it harder then it's supposed to" It was then that Arcee felt a pang of guilt fall over her, remembering what she had refused to tell Bumblebee weeks ago.

"Bee, there's something I've just got to tell you" said Arcee.

"What's that?" asked Bumblebee.

"I overheard a conversation between Elita One and Prowl and…" said Arcee "…I think Prowl intentionally made the programs more difficult"

"He…He can't do that" said Bumblebee "How long have you known this?"

"A few weeks" replied Arcee "I would've told you earlier, but I didn't want to make it more complicated for you" Bumblebee turned to the door. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to see him about it" replied Bumblebee.

"Bee, wait!" said Arcee. At that moment, Kup entered.

"Bumblebee, Arcee; I hope you're preparing yourselves for the final test" said Kup.

"Kup, do you know where Prowl is?" asked Bumblebee.

"He went for a drive outside the base" replied Kup.

"Which direction?" asked Bumblebee.

"North, as I remember" replied Kup. Bumblebee instantly transformed and drove off down the hallway.

"Bee, don't do this!" yelled Arcee. She ran after him, only to get stopped by Kup.

"I'll handle this, wait here" said Kup. He ran off down the hallway. Arcee heaved a sigh.

"In the mood for some last minute training?" asked a voice. Arcee turned to see Wasp standing in the middle of the training room.

"I really don't think—" said Arcee.

"C'mon, it'll cheer you up" said Wasp whislt grabbing her hands "I'm sure Kup's got it covered. Bee will be fine"

 _Meanwhile onboard a Decepticon ship_

Barricade stood aboard the bridge of his ship when a Vehicon came rushing in.

"Captain, we've discovered the Autobot Prowl driving away from the training facility" said the Vehicon.

"Do you have a fix on his location?" asked Barricade.

"Yes captain" replied the Vehicon.

"Send a squad to take him out by surprise and set a course for the training facility" said Barricade "Without that paranoid Autobot at the head of security, taking over that facility will be easier than before. Prepare the troops"

"Yes captain" replied the Vehicon who rushed off.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee and Wasp sparred with bo-staffs at the center of the training room.

"Quite feisty, they teach you a lot at Metrotitan?" smirked Wasp.

"Yes, actually" replied Arcee "You seem to be pretty capable yourself"

"I come here and train with everything at every chance I get" said Wasp "Unlike Bee, I'm commited to achieving an Elite Guard rank"

"Bee's committed" said Arcee "He's just trying to fit in better"

"You really think he's trying to fit in better?" said Wasp "This place isn't about fitting in, it's about reaching to the highest you can get. Some of us fall under the pressure, leaving those remaining to pull ourselves to the top. That's what it's always been about"

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl (in the form of a white and black Cybertronian car) drove along the road and was quickly followed by Bumblebee who swept up and drove in front of him, blocking him off. Prowl skidded to a stop and transformed.

"What is it now?" said Prowl.

"Prowl, we need to talk" said Bumblebee.

"About what?" asked Prowl.

"I think you know what" replied Bumblebee "You've been intentionally setting the programs more difficult so they would be harder for us"

"And what makes you think that?" asked Prowl.

"Arcee overheard a talk you had with Elita One a few weeks ago" replied Bumblebee "She told me all about it" Prowl sighed.

"You're probably not going to understand it, but what I was trying to do was for your own good" said Prowl "I wanted to motivate you to try harder"

"By having us get beaten up each and every time?" said Bumblebee "You didn't motivate us as much as drive us apart"

"If that's so, then it was never my intention" said Prowl "I only wanted to prepare you for the worst. I've been on the battlefield many times and I can tell you this; a real battle is not full of triumph or glory, it's an endless struggle for survival and an attempt to make it harder for the enemy to beat your side. What you've been told in the war stories are merely a point of view of it byt those who never witnessed it first hand. I just wanted you and the others to be ready" At that moment, a group of black Vehicon jets flew down towards them and began shooting. "Get down!" He and Bumblebee ducked. The jets transformed into Vehicons who pointed their blasters towards them.

"Well, looks like I'm going to get some real experience after all" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Wasp clashed violently against Arcee.

"Is that really the best you've got?" said Wasp "Why don't you try harder"

"You seem really fixated on joining the Elite Guard" said Arcee.

"It's always been my dream to be an Elite Guard commander" said Wasp "From the moment I saw them in action at a young age, I knew I just had to join them. Do you want to join them?"

"Well, my sister certainly wants me to join them" replied Arcee "That's most of the reason I was at Metrotitan, because she was able to pull enough strings to put me on the program"

"You sound like something's holding you back" said Wasp.

"Well, I'm just not sure if it's right for me" said Arcee.

"What are you talking about?" said Wasp "There are countless Autobots out there who want to join the Elite Guard and would do anything to get in; you don't just deny an invitation like that, it miht never come back. I've seen you in action"

"Really?" said Arcee.

"Yes; everytime you take on those programs, I'm there watching you" said Wasp. Arcee felt a cold tremor down her spine. "You're good; you deserve much more than to simply be Bumblebee's babysitter"

"Bee's been finding it hard" said Arcee "He needed help, that's why I helped him"

"Enough about Bee already, he's weak!" snapped Wasp "Too weak to be in the ranks of the Elite Guard"

"Why do you have a problem with Bumblebee?" asked Arcee.

"Because he's always stood in my way" said Wasp "Because of his failings; he's held back this whole group because of it, including me" He struck forward, knocked Arcee against the wall, and held her with it. "Do you know what I think? You should be my partner"

"Stop it, stop it now!" snapped Arcee whilst pushing him away "Bee may not be perfect; but for whatever flaws he's got, you're not even half the bot he is!" She stormed off, leaving Wasp behind with a growing look of disdain.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Prowl fought the Vehicons with their blasters.

"These are certainly not training programs, where did they come from?" said Bumblebee.

"They must have ambushed me to take me out alone" said Prowl "Bumblebee, get out of here; I'll deal with them"

"What, no!" said Bumblebee "They'll kill you"

"Go; that's an order soldier!" said Prowl. Bumblebee looked back and forth between Prowl and the training facility. With a deep breath, he ran off towards the training facility, only to find his path blocked by a teal blue Cybertronian pickup truck that drove towards him. The truck transformed into Kup, who drew out his handheld musket laser and shot at the remaining Vehicons.

"Seems I found you two just in time" said Kup.

"I still can't believe it" said Prowl "Decepticons, here? We have to head back to base fast. This was just a small group, it shouldn't be long until the rest follow" The three of them transformed and drove off back to the training facility.

"By the AllSpark!" said Kup as he and the other two transformed. Barricade's ship loomed over the training facility and countless Vehicons started deploying.

"This is not good" said Bumblebee.

"No reinforcements for us" said Prowl "That must mean the distress signal hasn't been issued. We have to be quick. Bumblebee, go to the control room and see if someone has issued a distress signal. If not, then issue"

"What, why me?" said Bumblebee.

"You're the smallest and the fastest, you can get through them unnoticed and make it as quick as possible" replied Prowl.

"But I can fight, I can help the rest of you" said Bumblebee "Just give me a chance"

"You will help us by ensuring with have backup" said Prowl "No matter how hard we fight, these Decepticons will just outnumber us. We won't be able to beat them at the numbers we have. Now go, it's an order" Bumblebee nodded.

"Yes sarge" said Bumblebee. He transformed and drove off.

"Try to be a bit more appreciative of the boy" said Kup.

"That depends on his success" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Elita rushed towards the control room as a group of Vehicons swarmed towards it.

"Guard the control room" said a Vehicon "If the Autobots send a distress signal out, we're done for" Suddnely, Elita leapt onto him and knocked him over. The Vehicons turned their blasters towards her and opened fire, only for Elita to fire back with her blasters until every last one of them was gone. Suddenly, an electric jolt shot throguh her and rendered her unconcious. Barricade stepped out, reeling in the wires for his taser.

"Well look what I found" smirked Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee ran through the hallways when he came across Arcee who was fighting off a group of Vehicons.

"Here little girl!" smirked a Vehicon.

"Back off" said Arcee. The Vehicons came in closer. "I said back off!" Bumblebee turned his hands into his blasters and shot at the remaining Vehicons. Arcee turned to Bumblebee and smiled.

"Good to have you back, Bee" said Arcee.

"What exactly happened here?" asked Bumblebee.

"The Decepticons took us by surprise" replied Arcee "They're swarming all over the base at this point"

"We have to get to the control room to call for help" said Bumblebee "It's just down this hallway" The two of them ran down the hallway together.

"I know this isn't the right time, but what happened between you and Prowl back there?" asked Arcee.

"Nothing too bad, I think" replied Bumblebee "I'll tell you all about it when this is over"

"Assuming we live to tell the tale" smirked Arcee.

"Well, it isn't over just yet" smirked Bumblebee.

"Besides, we'd better be careful" said Arcee "The control room is bound to be one of their first targets"

"And right you are" said a voice. The two of them skidded to a stop as they came face to face with Barricade who stood over the unconcious Elita.

"Elita One!" exclaimed Arcee.

"What have you done to her?" said Bumblebee.

"Don't worry, she's still alive" said Barricade "For now, that is" He turned his blaster down towards Elita. Bumblebee and Arcee pointed their blasters towards. "Uh uh uh; one more step or sudden move and I'll blow her head off. Believe me, I'd prefer not to; she's close to Optimus Prime which gives her great value to Lord Megatron, but she's still worth something dead nonetheless"

"Bee, we have to send that signal through" whispered Arcee.

"Then what should we do?" asked Bumblebee.

"When I shoot at him, make a dash for the control room" replied Arcee "I'll keep our friend here busy"

"But he'll kill her" whispered Bumblebee.

"Then I'll try not to miss" whispered Arcee "Lower your weapons" She and Bumblebee lowered their arms which caused Barricade to grin.

"So much for the new recruits" smirked Barricade. Suddenly, Arcee swung up her blaster and swiftly shot him in the forearm, causing him to stumble back.

"Bee, now!" yelled Arcee. Bumblebee rushed through the control room door. Barricade turned to go after him, but Arcee swiftly transformed into a Cybertronian motorcycle and knock him off his feet. She transformed and pointed her blaster towards him. "Surrender!"

"You still have much to learn, don't you?" said Barricade. He transformed into a Cybertronian car and rammed her into the wall. He then transformed back and ran over to the control room door. Arcee got herself up and leapt onto him, pulling him down by the arm. Barricade responded by bashing her into the wall.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee opened up a holographic screen with an Autobot trooper on it.

"This is a restricted distress channel, state your name and business" said the Autobot trooper.

"My name is Bumblebee, I am an Autobot cadet at the Esserlon training facility" said Bumblebee "Sergeant Prowl and Kup sent me. We're under attack by Decepticons and we need reinforcements fast"

"We'll send reinforcements your way immediately" said the Autobot trooper "Until then, try to hold the base"

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee threw a punch at Barricade who caught her fist and used it to bring her in and slam her in the stomach with his knee. He then slammed her into the ground.

"Looks like your Autobot career has met an abrupt end" said Barricade.

"Get away from my partner, Con!" snapped Bumblebee who came out with his blaster aimed towards him.

"Is this really the best the Autobots have to offer?" said Barricade "A bunch of freshly trained cadets who have only ever known is the luxury of their training programs?"

"Believe me, most of my training's been anything but luxury" said Bumblebee.

"It's still not enough" said Barricade "Give me a real challenge"

"Very well" said a voice. Barricade turned around, only to get knocked over by Elita One who kicked him across the face by surprise. "Give up, it's all over"

"It is far from it" said Barricade as he got himself up "We'll meet again some day" He transformed and drove off.

"Who was that?" asked Arcee.

"I've seen him on files, his name is Barricade" replied Elita "He is a Decepticon captain well known for his interrogation methods, which makes it all the more fortunate that he didn't take over the base. Well done, the both of you"

 _Later_

"We've placed your results through a calculation computer" said Prowl "Your final results have come through to determine which division in the Autobot army you shall be placed in" He got out a hologram projector which projected a holographic screen which showed a list. "Bumblebee, you have been accepted into Scout Division"

"Well, it's better than nothing" said Bumblebee.

"Sunstreaker, you are to join the frontline army with your brother Sideswipe" said Prowl.

"I suppose he needs the company" said Sunstreaker.

"Bulkhead, you've been given a special request to join the Wreckers" said Prowl "Commander Impactor himself made the request"

"Me?" said Bulkhead "The Wreckers? I'm not sure about it"

"You'll fit right in" said Prowl "As for the rest of you, Wasp, Red Alert, and Arcee, you are to move up to the Elite Guard"

"Finally!" said Wasp.

"Meeting dismissed" said Prowl. Bumblebee walked up to Arcee.

"Well, I guess this is goodbye for now" said Bumblebee "I mean, you're going up to Elite Guard. That's different from Scouts Division"

"It feels so strange" said Arcee "I've gotten so used to being your partner that it almost dosen't feel right to accept this"

"But you should" said Bumblebee "This is a once in a lifetime offer and I don't want to stand in the way of it"

"Alright" said Arcee "Well, I hope I see you again some time"

"Maybe" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee packed up his things from his room into a duffle bag and turned to the door, only to find Kup standing in the middle of it.

"Hey sarge" said Bumblebee.

"It's good to see you finally moving up" said Kup.

"I wouldn't exactly call Scouts Division "moving up"" said Bumblebee "The tasks they take on aren't exactly Elite Guard level"

"But they have an important task nonetless" said Kup "We always try to associate components that are more important over others; but in truth, we need every componant in order to work properly. And Scouts Division has just gained a great new member to their roster, that's something to be proud of" Bumblebee smiled. "Oh, and that remind me…" He stood aside to reveal Arcee standing in the doorway.

"Arcee, what are you doing here?" asked Bumblebee "Shouldn't you be getting yourself ready to move on?"

"I am" replied Arcee "I spoke with Prowl and Elita One; I'm now joining Scouts Division"

"What, you can't do that" said Bumblebee "The Elite Guard—"

"I don't want to join the Elite Guard, not while my partner's going somewhere else" said Arcee.

"But still—" said Bumblebee.

"This is my choice, Bumblebee" said Arcee "I want to stay with you"

"Well…okay then" said Bumblebee "But if you ever feel like joining the Elite Guard, don't blame me for it"

"I'll try not to" smirked Arcee. The two of them walked off down the hallway together.

"Ah, to be young again" said Kup.

 _Back to reality_

"I had no idea that partnership would last this long, but it has" said Arcee.

"That's amazing" said Melody "But I still don't get why Prowl worked them as hard as he did. I mean, I know why he did it, but why did he think it was even a good idea"

"I honestly don't know about that part" said Arcee "Perhaps there are some things about him that aren't meant to be understood" Prowl breathed a sigh under his breath. Arcee looked off down the hallway. "Just give me a moment"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee lay on his head and looked up at the ceiling when Arcee entered.

"Arcee, what are you doing here?" asked Bumblebee "Prowl said—"

"I know what he said, but honestly don't care about it" said Arcee. She sat down beside Bumblebee. "Listen Bee, I just felt like telling you that…no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you. We've been through so much together, I honestly can't think of what life would be like without you" Bumblebee sat himself up.

"Same here" said Bumblebee "I can't believe how long it's been. Everything's changed so much. Cybertron's gone, Megatron's gone; at times I'm not even sure of who I am anymore"

"I know who you are" said Arcee "You're my partner; always have been, always will be" The two of them embraced eachother in a hug. At that moment, they heard someone clear their throat. They turned to see Prowl standing in the doorway. "Oh, sorry; I was just—"

"No, don't leave" said Prowl "Bumblebee, perhaps I have been a little too hard on you lately and perhaps that's the reason you risk your life more and more. I'll let you off this once, just don't let it happen again" He turned and left.

"Did he just apologize to me?" said Bumblebee.

"I think he did" said Arcee.

"Things are changing" said Bumblebee "And it looks like more than I can ever know"

 **kira444** : Good to know, thanks. I'll try to brainstorm some things that I'm unsure about or could be improved upon so I can ask you about it.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : We'll find out what happens to the disk eventually, just wait and see.

 **SirEmpire** : Thanks for the feedback. In answer to your question; I was thinking of making the Stunticons just individuals as opposed to a combiner group like they were in the Aligned continuity. As for the Combaticons, the rest of them will come up in the series and they will form Bruticus.


	13. Turning Point

_The Nemesis_

Starscream overlooked the Vehicons reconstructing the _Ark_. He noticed that a pair of Vehicons who were handling a fin accidently dropped it onto the ground. Starscream huffed and leapt up at the level they were working on.

"Pick that up!" snapped Starscream.

"But sir, we've been working all day" said one of the Vehicons "Can't we just—"

"Pick….that…UP!" snapped Starscream.

"Yes commander" said the Vehicon.

"Lord Starscream!" snapped Starscream.

"Lord Starscream…sir" said the Vehicon. The two Vehicons jumped down to retrieve the fin.

"We should be out by now, but we're not" said Starscream.

"Lord Starscream, the scouting group has returned" said Barricade through his comlink.

"I just hope they had better luck than our repair crew" said Starscream.

 _A few minutes later_

"What do you mean there was no energon?!" snapped Starscream.

"The cave we discovered was nothing more than a strip mine" replied one of five Vehicons "There was no more energon to be harvested"

"You fools!" snapped Starscream.

"You sent us to that cave, you should have made sure it had energon in it to start with" said another Vehicon.

"Leave us!" snapped Starscream. The five Vehicons left. "Barricade, send another patrol out immediately"

"Yes Lord Starscream" replied Barricade "Any location I should send them to?"

"Preferably somewhere we haven't mined before" said Starscream. Barricade nodded and left as Starscream slouched down into his throne. "Why is that no matter how hard I try, nothing ever happens? It's been almost a month! We're still stuck out here and are no closer to freeing the ship!"

"Perhaps the workers would work faster if you didn't go so hard on them" said Slipstream.

"And I wouldn't go so hard on them if they at least pulled their own weight!" snapped Starscream.

"Then maybe you should try pull all of them from the sidelines so they can work on the ship more" said Slipstream.

"And let the Autobots get an advantage over us in the Energon race?" said Starscream "Within a week they could take half of this planet's energon supply if they try hard enough"

"Well; sorry about bad options, but right now they're perhaps the only ones we have" said Slipstream "And sorry; but it's not my fault that energon deposits attract Autobots like antroids to a picnic!" She stormed out. Starscream sat back in his throne and scratched his chin.

"Antroids to a picnic?" said Starscream "Sister, you may have just give me an idea!"

 _Later_

"For what use do you need it for?" asked Soundwave.

"To turn the tide of the war, that's what" said Starscream "Now show me inside" Soundwave led him into the door to the armory. As they walked down the room, they passed many unique weapons and other technology. "I have no idea why I never came here before. This plan could solve everything" As they reached the end of the room, Soundwave extended his tentacles out and pulled out a large orb and gave it to Starscream.

"Careful with it, even a slight drop could cause it to go off" said Soundwave.

"Of course I'll be" said Starscream "After all, this is what I'll use to bring down Optimus Prime!"

 **Turning Point**

 _Suburbs of Carson City_

Bumblebee drove Melody through the streets with the radio up.

"So what's on for today?" asked Melody.

"Nothing actually" replied Bumblebee "For once, everything seems clear"

"So there hasn't been any recent Decepticon activity?" asked Melody.

"Not since two days ago" said Bumblebee "Prowl thinks that they're planning something big so he's upped the routine patrols. Heck, I'm lucky that he even allowed me to come out her right now" Melody thought for a moment before thinking of something.

"Say…how would you feel about going for a drive" said Melody "There's plenty to see out here and it could count as a sort of unofficial patrol"

"Well…I guess that could work" said Bumblebee "But I doubt Prowl would allow taking Humans on patrol"

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"So what do you see?" asked Prowl into Teletraan I.

"Nothing but road as far as the optic can see" replied Bulkhead through Teletraan I "It's been nearly two hours and I've found nothing"

"Are you sure you've found nothing?" asked Prowl "We need to be absolutely certain. Do one more hour and then come back. Understood?"

"Understood" sighed Bulkhead.

"Take it easy on him, Prowl" said Optimus.

"Starscream hasn't made a move in two days" said Prowl "Either he's left the planet or he's preparing for a much bigger attack. And I think we both know the former is really unlikely given the planet's value"

"Or perhaps he's simply getting some much needed rest" said Optimus "Sometimes you work everyone too hard, including yourself. I know that this war has been difficult, but you need to take it easy"

"Perhaps you're right" said Prowl "But we have to be prepared for anything, especially a potential Decepticon assault"

 _Meanwhile_

"Make sure to leave it carefully, Dead End" said Starscream as he handed the orb to Dead End (a maroon and black Decepticon with purple optics).

"And how is an orb supposed to help us?" said Dead End.

"It will subdue the Autobots, that's all you have to know" said Starscream.

"Could've used a more detailed description" said Dead End.

"With special weapons like these, the information on them is need-to-know" said Starscream "And given that you're not the rank, you don't need-to-know. Now remember, Dead End; we only have one of these, so be sure to get the procedure right, or everything will be for nothing"

"Geez, why trust me with it?" asked Dead End "You've got a whole army of Vehicons"

"Because they'll be here working" said Starscream "Say; when you first arrived, I recall that there were two of you. Where's your partner?"

"He said he was just off giving his new alternative mode a test run" said Dead End "I never understood the likin for tanks; I prefer something more streamline"

"I'll just have to talk to him later about it" said Starscream "In the meantime, we'll get my plan into action"

 _Meanwhile in Nevada_

Bulkhead drove along the road on patrol.

"Well…time for another go around" said Bulkhead. He stopped and turned around on the road. Unbeknownst to him, a large green TOS-1 sat on the hill and launched a barrage of rockets at him. "Woah!" He skidded to a stop and transformed. "Watch it!" At that moment, the TOS-1 transformed into a large Decepticon with red optics.

"I wouldn't watch anything with you, Bulkhead" said the Decepticon.

"Wait, Hailstorm?" said Bulkhead "But…you're dead!"

"You left me for dead back on Tyger Pax, Bulkhead!" said Hailstorm "I travelled halfway across the galaxy looking for. Who would have thought that you were on this barren rock the whole time; so much for being a Wrecker"

"If you're so upset about it, why don't down you just come down here and settle it!" said Bulkhead.

"I'll settle it, but from up here!" said Hailstorm. A missile retracted out from his back and he shot it at Bulkhead, who caught it.

"Ha; same old Hailstorm, same old tricks!" said Bulkhead. It was then that the missile began to beep with a flashing light. "Oh!" The missile exploded in his face and sent him flying across the terrain. Hailstorm walked up to him, picked him up, and threw him over his shoulder.

 _Meanwhile_

Agent Bluestone appeared on Teletraan I.

"Prime, I've got news for you; Starscream is attacking a military base" said Bluestone "I need you there stat!"

"Are there any Vehicons with him?" asked Optimus.

"No; from what I've heard, apparently it's just him" said Bluestone.

"Rather strange behavior for Starscream" said Ratchet.

"It could be a trap" said Prowl.

"Maybe, but we cannot endanger Human lives" said Optimus "We must protect the innocent above all else. Agent Bluestone, send us the coordinates"

"Already on it" said Bluestone.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee drove along the road, he was joined by an unexpected Arcee who drove up to him from behind.

"Wasn't expecting to see you still out" said Arcee.

"Melody wanted to go for a drive so I decided to go along with it" said Bumblebee "Why are you out here?"

"You know Prowl, he just wants me to keep going on patrols for the whole day" said Arcee "Mind if I join you two; it beats anything else I've got going on"

"Sure" said Bumblebee "Besides, this sort of counts as an unofficial patrol if you think about it" Melody smirked

 _Meanwhile at the military base_

Starscream flew down and shot a few shots before transforming and landing on top of a building.

"Pathetic Humans!" laughed Starscream. A group of soldiers fired a machine gun at him, only for him to fire a rocket at them which destroyed the gun. "Is this really the best Earth has for its defenses? No wonder you need the Autobots' help. Is there anyone who can challenge the might of Starscream?" At that moment, Ironhide drove up, flew into the air, transformed, and threw a punch at Starscream, who managed to dodge it at the last minute.

"Dodging" said Ironhide "At least you're good at something, Scream"

"Ironhide" said Starscream "You were not the Autobot I was expecting"

"Oh, he's on his way" said Ironhide. At that moment, Optimus drove up at full speed, transformed, and started shooting at Starscream with his ion blaster. Following him came Jazz, Prowl, Wheeljack, and Breakaway.

"Surrender Starscream, we have you outnumbered" said Optimus. Starscream merely smirked.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bulkhead slowly regained consciousness, he realized that Hailstorm was carrying him across his shoulder. The Decepticon eventually reached a cave and threw Bulkhead in.

"What are you doing?" asked Bulkhead.

"Giving you the same mercy you gave me all those years" said Hailstorm.

"I didn't mean it" said Bulkhead "If things were different, I would've saved you"

"You mean if I was an Autobot you would've saved me?" said Hailstorm.

"No, that's not what I meant" said Bulkhead.

"That hardly matters" said Hailstorm "The point is, you left me for dead a long time ago; now I'm about to do the same. Consider us even" He shot a barrage of rockets up at the cave roof, and watched as everything caved in around Bulkhead.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream dodged the shots that the Autobots fired at him.

"All of you here and you still can't shoot just one Decepticon?" smirked Starscream "Is this really the best the Autobots have to offer?"

"You want us to shoot you, then just stay still" said Ironhide. He charged up his cannons and fired them at Starscream, who dodged them again.

"Nice try, Ironhide" smirked Starscream.

"Why come here alone, Starscream?" asked Optimus "Why not bring a battalion of Decepticon soldiers to accompany you?" Unbeknownst to the Autobots, Dead End snuck up from behind a building and watched carefully.

"Maybe the intention wasn't to destroy you; at least, not yet" smirked Starscream "Maybe it was to…trap you!" Dead End, realizing that this was his cue, got out the orb and slid it across the ground towards Optimus. Suddenly, the orb transformed into a creepy little insect-like creature which ran across the ground and bit Optimus on the leg painfully.

"AH!" exclaimed Optimus. As soon as Ironhide got a sight of the creature, he pointed his cannons at it and charged them up the moment the creature detached from Optimus.

"Ironhide, wait!" exclaimed Prowl just as Ironhide opened fire and blasted the creature. Starscream cackled out into laughter.

"And what exactly is so funny?" asked Ironhide.

"I appreciate your help" smirked Starscream "Goodbye!" He transformed and flew off.

"What was all that about?" said Breakaway.

"Better question: what was that thing that bit Optimus?" said Prowl. Jazz walked up to the charred remains of the creature and picked it up by the tail.

"This is nasty!" said Jazz.

"We'd better get you to Ratchet immediately, Optimus" said Prowl.

"Agreed" said Optimus.

"And then we'll have to find out what this thing is" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bulkhead once again regained consciousness, he realized that someone was dragging him out of the cave. He began to struggle.

"Do you want me to get you out or what?!" snapped a familiar deep voice. As Bulkhead was fully pulled out, he found himself looking up at none other than Grimlock.

"Grimlock?" said Bulkhead.

"I was passing by when I heard moaning coming from this cave so I decided to dig and find out what was inside" said Grimlock "Never expected to find you in there; what were you doing underneath all those rocks?"

"Let's just say I got ambushed by a Decepticon who held a grudge against me and decided to leave me in that cave" said Bulkhead. It was then that they heard the sound of a car and a motorcycle approaching from the road.

"What's that noise?" asked Grimlock. As the two looked over at the nearby road they saw Bumblebee and Arcee appear.

"Hey, it's Bumblebee and Arcee!" said Bulkhead "Hey guys, look to your left"

 _Meanwhile_

Ratchet inspected the bite on Optimus's leg.

"That's one nasty bite" said Ratchet "Can you describe what the pain was like?"

"It was sudden but extremely searing" said Optimus. Ratchet looked over at the medical console.

"There appears to be some kind of liquid surrounding the wound" said Ratchet "The console can't detect what it is exactly though. Perhaps we would have better luck identifying what it is exactly if someone hadn't blasted the source of the bite"

"Eh, if you were there you would've done the same!" snapped Ironhide "An ugly little critter who'd just bitten one of our own would certainly not have much longer to live"

"Ironhide, we needed that!" snapped Ratchet "In the meantime, we'd better make an adjustment to the wound" He scooped up a residue of the liquid around Optimus's wound and placed it within a small vial. "Take a decontamination shower and come back here"

"Acknowledged" said Optimus. He walked over to the decontamination shower and activated it. Ratchet looked over at the nearby table and noticed that Wheeljack had picked up the creature's remains by the tail and was looking at it.

"Wheeljack, put that down!" snapped Ratchet.

"Alright, alright!" exclaimed Wheeljack whilst placing the creature back down "Putting it back down!"

"We don't know what this liquid is, so no touching it without proper protective equipment" said Ratchet "It could be very dangerous" As Optimus got out of the decontamination shower, he walked back over to Ratchet.

"Lay back down" said Ratchet. Optimus lay back down onto the medical bed and Ratchet tied a cloth around the wound. "Until we figure out what it is, this will have to do" He walked over to the table and poured a small piece of the liquid from the vial onto a petri dish. "Take a rest. Everyone else, with me" He picked up a microscope and they all left the room.

"Is it a good idea to be leaving him like this?" asked Jazz.

"The sooner we find out what this liquid is, the better" said Ratchet. As they entered Wheeljack's workshop, he placed his microscope on a desk and used it to examine the petri dish

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee and Arcee drove up to Bulkhead and Grimlock, Bumblebee opened his door so Melody could get out and the two Autobots transformed.

"What are you doing out here, Bulk?" asked Arcee "And why is Grimlock with you?"

"It's kind of a long story" said Bulkhead.

"Well, it's not like we've got anything better to do" smirked Bumblebee.

"It all started when I was just driving along the road on patrol when I got attack by a barrage of rockets" said Bulkhead "That's when I came face-to-face with an old foe of mine, Hailstorm"

"Who's Hailstorm?" asked Bumblebee.

"He's a Decepticon I encountered several times in the war" said Bulkhead "As I recall; we were beginning to develop a rivalry. Eventually, I encountered him again during a Wrecker mission at Tyger Pax and we got into a fight again; only this time, it ended with him falling off a ledge just before a Decepticon bombing fleet bombarded the terrain. I thought he was; but it turns out he's not, and it seems he's still bitter about it"

"Do you think he's still out here?" asked Grimlock.

"Honestly, I don't know" replied Bulkhead "And what interest would you have with Hailstorm, exactly?"

"Don't you want to get back at him?" said Grimlock.

"Let me guess, you're going to assist me in it?" said Bulkhead "It doesn't exactly sound like you to help us out"

"Believe me, I will help you" said Grimlock "I could use a good hunt"

"What just happened?" said Bumblebee confused.

"I think Grimlock just convinced Bulkhead to help him hunt down a Decepticon" said Arcee.

"You guys can come too" said Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead, don't you think you should avoid getting revenge like this?" asked Bumblebee "I mean, what if he does the same to you again?"

"He won't because he'll be outnumbered this time" said Grimlock.

"But how do we know he's outnumbered?" asked Arcee "For all we know, he could be working for Starscream and have a platoon of Vehicons backing him up. And if he's not, he could be part of a rogue gang"

"If you want, you can come to" said Bulkhead "After all; one less Decepticon one the loose, the better"

"Sorry, but we have a responsibility to abide by" said Bumblebee.

"You're referring to Melody, right?" said Bulkhead.

"Yes, we are" said Bumblebee "Prowl gave us the responsibility of guarding her at all costs"

"You know, I'm right here" said Melody.

"The point being we can't help you with this and neither can we let you do this" said Bumblebee. Suddenly, Grimlock got out his sword and pointed it at him.

"Listen, yellow; you can either get in gear or get out of the way" said Grimlock "Take the Human and go if you want, but the Wrecker stays with me" Bumblebee, Arcee, and Melody backed off.

"Bulkhead, try to think this through before you do it" said Arcee. She and Bumblebee transformed, Melody got inside Bumblebee, and they drove off.

"I sure this is the right idea?" asked Bulkhead.

"Believe me; once you've gotten your revenge, everything will become clearer" said Grimlock.

 _Meanwhile_

"Strange, I've never seen anything like this before" said Ratchet.

"Is that bad?" asked Breakaway.

"Without knowing what it is, I'm not sure if I can find a cure" said Ratchet "I just hope it's not what I think it is".

"And what do you think it is?" asked Breakaway. Ratchet was about to answer when the proximity sensor went off.

"Looks like Agent Bluestone just arrived" said Ratchet "I'll just have to handle this then"

"He'll ask where Optimus is" said Jazz.

"Which is why I'll tell him why he's unavailable" said Ratchet. They walked out of Wheeljack's workshop and into the main room where Agent Bluestone had just arrived.

"Prime?" said Bluestone "Where's Prime?"

"I'm afraid he's unavailable" said Ratchet "He's very sick"

"You Bots get sick?" said Bluestone.

"We don't know what it is, but it could be dangerous so I made sure he had some rest" said Ratchet "It's best if we don't disturb him"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus began to toss and turn in the medical bed until he fell out of it. He began to hold onto his head with pain.

 _Meanwhile_

"It should be activating any moment now, and require the Autobots' full attention" said Starscream "Enough time for every single Decepticon to finish rebuilding the _Nemesis_ "

"So that's all you needed me for?" said Dead End "To throw some random ball that turned into a bug so it could bite Optimus Prime's leg"

"It's not just any bug" said Starscream "It's a device that was specifically designed to carry and insert the—" It was then that he noticed that Dead End was leaving. "Where are you going?"

"Off to find my partner" said Dead End "Hailstorm will probably get out of control and blow our cover if left to his own devices"

"Then we'll just call him back" said Starscream.

"Believe me, it would pointless" said Dead End "He still doesn't understand the whole chain-of-command thing yet" He turned and left the room. It was then that Slipstream entered.

"Starscream, what's all this about using the virus carrier?" asked Slipstream "It's the only one we have"

"It's been put to good use" said Starscream "We just need to make sure we live up to our end"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus continuously banged his head against the wall.

"Stop…" said Optimus "Stop!" Eventually he stopped banging his head onto the door and slumped down to the ground. As he lay there on the ground, his metal skin slowly turned black, his Autobot symbols turned white and morphed into Decepticon symbols, and he slowly opened his optics and revealed them to be now red. He stood up and walked out of the room and into the armory where he began collecting various weapons.

 _Meanwhile_

"It must be a new Decepticon then" said Ratchet "No one's reported one that turns into a green TOS-1 yet. He could be one of Starscream's new minions or he could be on his own; either way, we have more Decepticons to worry about"

"Whoever he is, he's been causing all sorts of trouble recently" said Bluestone "Reports of him attacking random targets within the last twelve hours have spread quickly"

"We'll deal with him when we get the chance" said Ratchet "But if he's attacking random targets, then it could take some time to draw him out" At that moment, Optimus entered.

"Hey Optimus, you're feeling better!" said Jazz "Wait, what's wrong with your color? And your optics, they're red. What's up?" Optimus didn't reply. "Optimus?" It was then that he realized that Optimus was wearing a pair of shoulder cannons and had just turned his hands into his ion blasters which he now charged up.

"Get back!" exclaimed Prowl. He and the others rolled to the side as Optimus opened fire and shot at them. The shots damaged Bluestone's platform causing it to fall.

"Got ya'!" said Jazz as he caught Bluestone.

"Everyone, out of here!" said Prowl.

"Wait!" said Ratchet. He quickly ran over to Teletraan I and typed into it.

" _Lockdown: Initiated"_

"Why'd you do that for?" asked Ironhide.

"No time, move!" exclaimed Ratchet.

"My workshop has a locking mechanism, we can hide in there" said Wheeljack. They ran down the hallway and into his workshop, where he activated the locking mechanism. At first, Optimus banged his fists aggressively against the door but he eventually stopped. "That's better"

"What the heck's gotten into Prime?" said Bluestone.

"It must have been triggered by what bit him" said Jazz.

"And it's pretty much confirmed by worst fears" said Ratchet "He's infected with the Reverse Evolution virus"

"A what?" said Breakaway.

"During the war, the Decepticons tested many forms of chemical and viral warfare" said Ratchet "Sometimes they weaponized existing viruses such as Cosmic Rust; but sometimes, they would genetically engineer new viruses. The most notorious being the one codenamed "Reverse Evolution". Autobots infected with it would believe themselves to be Decepticons and it was intractable to machines, which made it even worse. The virus itself was basic; the infected Autobots would merely attack other Autobots. But this does not dull down its danger"

"So that's why you lockdown the base" said Breakaway "To prevent him from escaping and causing more damage"

"It must have been what Starscream was bragging about earlier" said Ratchet.

"Is there any way to help him?" asked Jazz

"Fortunately, it's not incurable" said Ratchet "In fact, I have a sample of the cure in my lab"

"But we're not in your lab" said Ironhide.

"Which is the problem, especially considering that Optimus stands in our way" said Ratchet.

"We can't hurt him" said Jazz "Okay, I'll admit; he may disillusioned and all, but he's still Optimus deep down"

"I don't think it's his safety we have to worry about at the moment, Jazz" said Prowl "Have you seen the arsenal he's carrying? He could disintegrate us in a matter of seconds if we let him"

"I know this is off-topic, but does anyone think the thing that bit Optimus reminds them of the facehuggers from _Alien_?" said Wheeljack.

"Not now, Wheeljack" said Prowl.

"No, I'm serious" said Wheeljack.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove along the road.

"I feel bad about leaving Bulkhead behind like that" said Bumblebee.

"You know Grimlock; once he gets his mind to something, there's no stopping him" said Arcee.

"Hey Melody, I'm sorry about back there" said Bumblebee.

"About what, exactly?" asked Melody.

"We were talking about you as if you weren't there and you seemed offended by it" replied Bumblebee "I just want you to know, we appreciate you no matter what"

"That's okay, I understand" said Melody "Grimlock's pretty hard to convince and you didn't want to get me into it. But still, Bulkhead did have a point about letting a Decepticon loose" Hailstorm sat in vehicle mode atop a hill watching them.

"It just doesn't seem right for Grimlock to just help someone out" said Arcee "He could be working his own agenda, and he's about to pull Bulkhead into it"

"Incoming!" exclaimed Bumblebee. A barrage rocketed towards them. They swerved to the side but only just got out of it in time, transforming and landed on the ground in the process. Bumblebee grabbed ahold of Melody. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" said Melody. Hailstorm drove down the hill and transformed.

"Going somewhere, Autobots?" said Hailstorm.

"Okay; this may be a stab in the dark, but does your name happen to be Hailstorm?" asked Arcee.

"Wouldn't you like to know!" spat Hailstorm. He aimed his rocket launchers at them again and shot missiles at them.

"I'm guessing yes" said Bumblebee whilst dodging the incoming rockets "Well; at least we've got him outnumbered" At that moment, a maroon and black 2016 Bugatti Veyron with a yellow stripe drove up to them at high speed and transformed into Dead End.

"There you are, Hailstorm" said Dead End. He took one look at Bumblebee and Arcee and scoffed. "Typical; I leave for so long and you already get in the way of a couple of Autobots"

"And you are?" asked Arcee.

"Call me Dead End, if you must" scoffed Dead End. He looked down at Melody in Bumblebee's hands. "Starscream never said anything about the Autobots keeping pets. Eh; how can you touch something composed of flesh and water?

"Quit your whining!" snapped Hailstorm "I want to bust some skulls, damn it!" Dead End sighed.

"And my paint job is already being affected by this dust" said Dead End.

"Arcee, get Melody to safety" said Bumblebee quietly "I'll hold these two off"

"But they'll beat the heck out of you" said Arcee quietly.

"I'll be fine" said Bumblebee quietly "I'll call base for backup" Arcee nodded, grabbed Melody, and drove off.

"Looks like they've broken up" said Hailstorm.

"I'll take the two-wheeler" said Dead End. He transformed and drove off after Arcee. Hailstorm turned to Bumblebee and lunged forward.

"Oh scrap!" exclaimed Bumblebee as he leapt to the side "This is Bumblebee, I'm under attack; I need help" There was no reply. "Hello?" There was still no reply. "Optimus? Ratchet? Prowl? Jazz? Anybody?"

 _Meanwhile_

Wheeljack looked all over his shelves at his various gadgets.

"What are you looking for?" asked Prowl.

"I'm trying to find something that can help us out of this mess" said Wheeljack.

"No offense; I doubt any of your inventions could help us, Wheeljack" said Prowl.

"Do you have any better options?" said Wheeljack.

"Aren't they're any air vents you could use to sneak out?" asked Bluestone.

"We don't have any" replied Jazz "Autobots don't need to breath, so there's no need for air" It was then that a small gadget that resembled a claw as Wheeljack rummaged through the shelves. He walked over to it and picked it up to have a look at it.

"Eureka!" said Wheeljack.

"What is it?" asked Breakaway.

"I remember it now" said Wheeljack "I made this little gizmo just before I made what I'm looking for" He extended the claw device out and used it to pull another device off of the wall.

"What is that?" asked Jazz.

"It is an experimental portable ground bridge" replied Wheeljack "I designed and created it with the help of Bulkhead". It's meant to create a ground bridge anywhere"

"So in theory we could go into the lab and retrieve the cure without Optimus even noticing us" said Ratchet "That could actually work"

"If it can even work at all" said Prowl.

"It works, all right" said Wheeljack "I've tested it multiple times and it works fine. But there's one problem; I can't get the ground bridge big enough to fit a transformer through. Now that I think about it, that actually is quite a nasty flaw that really brings everything down"

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but how big exactly?" asked Ratchet.

"About this big" replied Wheeljack whilst making a seven foot long gesture with his hands.

"That may not be big enough for a transformer, but I'm sure a Human could get through" said Ratchet.

"Are you saying I could get through?" asked Bluestone.

"It may be our best hope" replied Ratchet "If you're willing to go through with it"

"Well; there's a few tons of out of control robot just outside that door, so I'm down for anything" said Bluestone.

"It may be our best choice, but it's a risky one nonetheless" said Wheeljack "I've never tested it with organic life"

"You're regular ground bridge has worked for Humans in the past, right?" said Bluestone.

"It has" said Wheeljack "But I made this without Ratchet's supervision. I have no idea what it could do; you could explode, or split in have, or—"

"You're not exactly making things better" said Prowl.

"The point is, Optimus told us that we must defend the Humans at all costs" said Wheeljack "If we send Agent Bluestone through and it doesn't work properly, it could all be for nothing"

"I'm willing to take the risk" said Bluestone "We have to do this. And word of advice; if this doesn't work out and someone asks where I am, just tell them something like I went down in battle against the Decepticons"

"You have our word" said Jazz with a salute.

 _Meanwhile_

As Arcee sped away, Melody looked back at Dead End who was approaching them from behind.

"That sports car Con is on our tail" said Melody.

"Hold on, I'll go faster" said Arcee as she accelerated forward. Suddenly, a pair of blasters retracted out of Dead End's hood and started shooting at them. This caused Arcee to start spiraling out of control. She quickly transformed in order to slow down and grabbed ahold of Melody. Dead End transformed and ran up to them, turning his hand into a blaster and shooting at them. Arcee placed Melody gently on the ground. "Get behind me" She turned her hands into blasters and shot back.

"Two wheelers, I never understood the interest in such a style" said Dead End.

"I guess that's just your own problem then" said Arcee. She retracted out her arm blades and slashed forward at Dead End.

 _Meanwhile_

"Okay then…" said Wheeljack. He charged up his portable ground bridge generator and created a ground bridge. "Now for the moment of truth" Bluestone walked up to the portal and looked at it.

"Here, take this" said Ratchet whilst handing him a small device "It's a comm-device, it should help us keep in touch while you're out there"

"I'll remember to use it" said Bluestone. He extended a step out, walked through the portal, and came out in the med bay.

"Agent Bluestone, are you alright?" asked Ratchet through his comlink.

"Yeah…" said Bluestone into his comlink "But I shouldn't have had such a big breakfast"

"At least we know it works" said Wheeljack through the comlink.

"So what am I looking for?" asked Bluestone.

"There's a small safe at the bottom of my desk" replied Ratchet. Bluestone walked over to his desk and found the safe.

"I think I found it" said Bluestone.

"Good" replied Ratchet "Now open it. I built the safe on Earth so it has English numerals. The code is 4…4…7…3" Bluestone entered the code and the safe opened to reveal lots of vials.

"Which one do I get?" asked Bluestone.

"I've labeled each of them" replied Ratchet "Find the one that says Reverse-Evolution virus"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee shot at Hailstorm but he was so big that it barely had an effect on him. He grabbed onto Bumblebee and slammed him into the ground. He retracted a pair of cannons from his forearms and charged them up.

"Little bug!" snarled Hailstorm. Suddenly, someone grabbed ahold of his arm and pulled him away.

"That's my friend you're talking about" said Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead!" exclaimed Hailstorm. Bulkhead turned his hand into a mace a pulled him towards him and smashed his face, knocking him out.

"Great to have you back, Bulk" said Bumblebee "Where's Grimlock gone?"

"He just disappeared the moment we saw what was happening" replied Bulkhead "I'm not sure where he's gone"

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee slashed continuously at Dead End until he finally grabbed onto both her wrists, twisted them, and kicked her off.

"Now that was simply predictable" said Dead End "I was at least hoping for a fight that was at least somewhat engaging" It was then that he felt a cold breeze rushed behind him. He turned around to see Grimlock (in beast mode) standing in front of him. "Woah…" Grimlock roared furiously before grabbing him up by the mouth by the leg. "Get off me!" Grimlock threw him off into the distance, ran up to him, and transformed. Dead End tried to crawl away, only to get picked up by the arm and staring Grimlock straight in the face. "So you're that rogue Autobot who Starscream told me all about. You look just like the rest of your team"

"Don't play games with me, Con!" snapped Grimlock "I'll make this quick; open me a ground bridge straight to the _Nemesis_ right now"

"Do you really think I'm that stupid?" said Dead End "Starscream would kill me for such a treacherous act"

"That'll be the least of your worries" said Grimlock "Because I'm going to kill him"

"You don't stand a chance" said Dead End "The _Nemesis_ is crawling with Vehicons, now more than ever. You'll be captured and imprisoned, if you even survive that is" Grimlock pulled out his sword and pointed it straight at his chest.

"I'll take my chances" said Grimlock "Now open up a ground bridge or I'll skewer you"

"But don't you need me to open the ground bridge?" asked Dead End.

"True; but since you're not compliant, you're useless to me" replied Grimlock "And I can't just waste my time with useless Decepticons like you. Now open a ground bridge now!"

"What are you doing?" said a voice "Stop it!" Grimlock turned around to see Bulkhead and Bumblebee approaching him, both with Arcee by their side. "Drop him now, Grimlock!" Grimlock dropped Dead End on the ground. "So this is what it was the whole time? I should've known you were up to something, guess I just wanted to believe you were helping me"

"This wasn't your concern" said Grimlock "If can find one of Starscream's minions and persuade them to open a ground bridge straight to the _Nemesis_ , then I can find my team and move on"

"I understand you want to find your team" said Bulkhead "Heck; if Starscream had a Wrecker locked up, my first instinct would be to get him back too. But threatening Decepticons like that is just too much"

"Don't talk to me about morals like that, Wrecker" said Grimlock "You've spilled plenty of energon in your time"

"Perhaps, but at least that's in battle" said Bulkhead "Torturing and tormenting isn't what Optimus would want" Dead End slowly lifted himself up quietly.

"Don't lecture me about Optimus, Wrecker" said Grimlock "He's weak! The best he could do is run away when things got out of his hands. If he had at least not held back against the Decepticons, we wouldn't be in this situation right now"

"You're right, we wouldn't" said Bulkhead "Cybertron barely survived one tyrannical dictator messing things up; two of them would probably destroy a whole section of space" Suddenly, Dead End transformed and drove off.

"Soundwave, bring a ground bridge right now!" said Dead End into his comlink. A ground bridge appeared in front of him and he zoomed through it.

"And now I've lost a chance to find my team, and it's all thanks to you" said Grimlock "And deep down, you know you're wrong"

"What do you mean?" asked Bulkhead.

"You're still trying to convince yourself that you're everything Optimus deems suitable in his bots, but you're not" said Grimlock "I've seen the look in your optics; you hunger battle, you praise your strength above all else. Like it or not, you have more in common with me than you do with Optimus, as does every Wrecker"

"At least I know restraint" said Bulkhead.

"In war, strength prevails" said Grimlock "You know this; you're just trying to convince yourself otherwise. One day you'll accept that; and if you have any respect for yourself, it had better be soon" He turned away and walked off.

"You made the right choice, Bulkhead" said Arcee "Remember that. By the way, what happened to Hailstorm?"

"Hail…oh shoot!" exclaimed Bulkhead. He turned away and ran back in the direction he came in to find that Hailstorm was no longer where he had left him. "Stupid! Stupid! I should have known to do something besides just leave him"

"We'll get him next time" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

The sound of slamming began on the door again.

"Looks like he's back" said Breakaway "Better get ready" They all prepared their weapons as the slamming increased.

"C'mon, Bluestone; we need you" said Jazz. Suddenly, Optimus broke through the door, carrying an intense arsenal of both melee and firepower weapons.

"Oh scrap!" exclaimed Wheeljack. Optimus blasted forward and knocked both him and Ratchet down. As the ground bridge generator flew out of his hand and landed on the ground in front of him, Optimus trod on it with his foot and crushed it. "NO!" Breakaway leapt towards Optimus, shooting with all of his might, only to get grabbed in the stomach and slammed into the wall. Ratchet looked up at the door in front of them and came up with an idea.

"Jazz, Ironhide, Prowl; keep him in this room!" said Ratchet as he transformed and drove off.

"You can count on it, doc!" said Jazz. Optimus turned to chase after Ratchet, but Ironhide transformed and charged into him. Optimus quickly pushed him away and Ironhide transformed to slow himself down.

"I could use some backup" said Ironhide. Jazz and Prowl ran up to him and stood at him either side.

"Neither of you hold back" said Prowl "Because he's not going to" Optimus charged at them.

 _Meanwhile_

Bluestone pulled out the vial that was labeled "Reverse-Evolution".

"Be careful with that" said Ratchet whilst picking it up and looking at it.

"So what now?" asked Bluestone.

"Now, it's up to us" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz kicked forward at Optimus, only for the Prime to grab him by the leg and throw him into the wall.

"Snap out of this, Optimus!" said Ironhide. He charged up his cannons and began shooting at Optimus, who responded by opening fire at him with all of his weapons until he was badly damaged and slouching against the wall. Optimus walked up to him and charged his ion blaster up. Suddenly, there was a flash of white and black as Prowl leapt at him and punched him in the jaw.

"I'm sorry about this, Optimus" said Prowl "But you give me no choice" He began throwing swift punches and kicks at Optimus who blocked a lot of them until a kick in the face knocked him over. Prowl threw a punch towards his face, only for his fist to be caught by the Prime's hand who twisted his wrist and gave him a head-butt. He held Prowl against the ground with his arm pulled against his back. He then pointed his ion blaster towards his head.

"Optimus, don't do it!" said Jazz. Optimus looked up at him bloodthirstily. "Optimus, this isn't you; you'd never hurt one of us. The virus has twisted you, turned you into something you're not. You have to fight it, don't let it take you" Optimus pulled his ion blaster up towards him. "Please; no matter what happens, you can't let the Decepticons win" Optimus's ion blaster began to shake. "Starscream took away your freedom with this virus, and you're the one who taught us that freedom was everyone's right" Optimus's ion blaster turned back into his hand and he held his head in pain. At that moment, Ratchet and Agent Bluestone arrived back in the room.

"What happened?!" said Ratchet

"I…can't fight it!" said Optimus.

"You can!" said Jazz "Just hold on a little more. Right, doc?"

"We've got the cure" said Ratchet whilst holding up a syringe "We just need him to be still for a second"

"Ironhide!" said Jazz. Ironhide pulled himself up and grabbed Optimus by one arm whilst Jazz took the other, with Optimus struggling viciously as Ratchet approached him.

"Forgive us, Optimus" said Ratchet. He lifted the syringe up high and stabbed it into Optimus's chest, causing him to collapse. As the other Autobots gathered around him, his black and white coloration began to fade back into his normal red and blue coloration with his Decepticon symbols morphing back into Autobot symbols.

"Is he…" said Wheeljack "Is he alright? The cure worked, right?"

"The cure was full proof, but if the shock was too overwhelming…" said Ratchet "Please…by the AllSpark, not another" Suddenly, Optimus opened his optics (which were now blue again) and sat himself up.

"Optimus, you're back!" said Jazz.

"Yes, thank you" said Optimus "If it weren't for all of you, I would've been far gone"

"Well, this visit was more exciting than usual" said Bluestone "If you don't mind, I think it's best if I get going now" He turned and left.

"I guess we now know what Starscream was planning this whole time" said Prowl "It still feels like such a random act"

"He must have something that he couldn't afford us interfering" said Optimus "Whatever it is, it must be important"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream and the rest of the Decepticon crew stood aboard the bridge of the _Nemesis_.

"Go to full power" said Starscream. A Vehicon nodded and typed into the controls. The _Nemesis_ slowly rose up out of the sand and into the sky. "Finally; at long last, the _Nemesis_ rises again!"

 **kira444** : Thanks, I hope you enjoy the upcoming ones

 **Just a Crazy Man** : Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 **SirEmpire** : I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far. And in answer to your questions; yes, I will be incorporating the Cyber Ninja/loner aspect to Prowl as well as making him the Batman to Optimus Prime's Superman. As for Rodimus, he'll turn up in the series eventually.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Believe me, they're getting closer ;)

 **Martin** : Now that you mention it, I might do a Shattered Glass chapter at some point in the series. Thanks for the inspiration.


	14. Survival of the Fastest

_Nevada_

It was night time and a lone car drove along the road. Inside the car sat a quarterback and his girlfriend who was busy polishing her nails.

"So what do you think, Eliza?" asked the quarterback "Picked this old hunk of junk last week"

"Yeah, it's cool" said Eliza who seemed disinterested.

"Is there something seriously wrong?" asked the quarterback.

"Brad, we've been out here for almost an hour" replied Eliza "Is this seriously how we're going to spend our third date, driving out here in the middle of nowhere? If you get me home late again, my dad's going to lose it"

"I just wanted to show you my new car is all" said Brad.

"Cool; but if we're seriously going to be out here the whole time, we could at least do something exciting" said Eliza. At that moment, a flash of yellow sped past them as a Dodge Viper zoomed ahead of them.

"Seriously?" said Brad as he accelerated forward.

"What are you doing?" said Eliza.

"Dude, thinks he better than me!" said Brad.

"So you're seriously going to race him?" said Eliza.

"Of course" said Brad "Besides, you're the one who said you wanted some excitement"

"Yeah, but not like this!" said Eliza "This is crazy!" As Brad reached up to the other car he wound down his window to talk.

"Hey you!" said Brad "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you; you think you're King of the Roads? Well guess what, you'll have to hold that claim for it to be true!" He zoomed forward ahead. "What do you think, ha?"

"Can we please just go home now?" asked Eliza "You're probably gonna' get us killed or stopped by the cops!"

"Oh c'mon!" said Brad "Look at the time; we've still got a whole two hours and a half before I have to take you back"

"Then we can spend it at Ben & Jerry's!" said Eliza "Can we please just go back already!" At that moment, a loud bump hit the car from behind. "What the heck was that?" Brad looked up at the top rear-view mirror and saw the other car following them behind.

"Well, look who's a sore loser!" said Brad. After another bump from behind he stuck his head out the window. "Eh, you; I'd be beat up too if I just got burned, but this is just stupid!" The other car drove up beside them and began to bump them from the side. "Eh; stop, damn it!" As he recovered from the bump, he noticed a strange symbol on the other car. "Hey, what kind of sticker is that?" The other car bumped them again.

"This was such a bad idea!" said Eliza.

"How was I supposed to know this guy was such a psycho?" asked Brad. Suddenly, the other car bumped them so hard that they spun off the road and hit a large rock at the front, triggering the air bags.

"My parents are hearing about this, you know that?" said Eliza whilst crossing her arms.

"No kidding!" said Brad. He stuck his head out the window and waved his fist in the air. "Hey you, you just cost me my allowance! Happy now? HAPPY!" The other car meanwhile just drove off triumphantly.

 **Survival of the Fastest**

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

Scrapper entered the room where Megatron lay still comatose with Hightower and Mixmaster still fixing him up.

"What is the progress on our lord?" asked Scrapper.

"He's still stable and we're fixing his systems as well as any small problems that occur on him" replied Hightower.

"And what of his mental condition?" asked Scrapper.

"Unfortunately, despite our efforts, there have no great advancements" replied Hightower "Although he is not brain dead, he isn't regaining consciousness"

"He-He looks dead-dead-dead-dead…but-but he's not" said Mixmaster.

"You basically just said what I said only in an inferior fashion" said Hightower.

"Really-Really?" asked Mixmaster.

"Of course" said Hightower "Seriously; out all of us, why do I have to work with him?"

"I'm afraid that we need Long Haul, Scavenger, and Bonecrusher on our other task" said Scrapper.

"Then why not me instead of them?" asked Hightower.

"B-cause we need your surgical expertise to fix our lord's physical condition" said Scrapper "And believe; if I had put Bonecrusher up to such a task, he probably would've wrecked him long ago"

"Why; thank you very much, sir" said Hightower "It is always a pleasure to be acknowledged"

"Don't flatter yourself" said Scrapper "You haven't exactly fixed Megatron" It was then that a device on his hip buzzed which he picked up and examined. "That will be our partner who wants to hear the latest progress on our work. If you'll excuse me" He turned and left the room.

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"Okay…that should do it" said Jazz whilst typing into Teletraan I.

"So what should this do?" asked Ratchet.

"You'll see" smirked Jazz just before pulling a lever. Suddenly, loud 80s rock music blasted out of Teletraan I.

"What the heck is this!?" exclaimed Ratchet whilst covering what would be his ears.

"The latest jam, that's what!" smirked Jazz whilst dancing along to it.

"Wow; I sometimes play this stuff while driving, but never this loud!" said Bumblebee. At that moment, Optimus emerged from the hallway.

"What is this!?" exclaimed Optimus.

"I think Humans call it music" said Wheeljack.

"Not just Humans" said Jazz whilst moonwalking. At that moment, Arcee and Melody ran in.

"Hey guys, you'll—woah!" said Melody.

"What's happening?" asked Arcee.

"Jazz, turn it off!" said Ratchet.

"Huh?" said Jazz.

"JAZZ, TURN IT OFF!" yelled Ratchet. Jazz simply shrugged so Ratchet pointed to Arcee and Melody to tell him what he meant.

"Oh!" said Jazz. He rushed over to Teletraan and pulled the lever back up. "Sorry 'bout that; got a little…carried away"

"No kidding!" said Wheeljack.

"What is it you wished to say, Melody?" asked Optimus.

"Check this out; it's the latest scoop" said Melody whilst slamming a newspaper onto the table "There was a hit and run last night not far from here; a kid from my school got hit off the road because he was trying to race this other car. No one's dead, but they described the car as having a strange sticker on them. And you know what that means"

"I think I do" said Ratchet "Were there any other descriptions of the car?"

"Only that it was yellow" replied Melody.

"So that rules out Dead End" said Bumblebee.

"Looks like we've got a new Decepticon on the loose" said Jazz.

"We cannot ignore this" said Optimus "We have to find him fast. We'll organize a patrol around the same area tonight"

"To draw out the attacker?" asked Jazz.

"Precisely" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile on the Nemesis_

"It's so good to have our warship back" said Starscream "Now we are above the Autobots in every sense; as well as direct ourselves in full force to a location"

"But we still cannot capture a Dinobot" said Dead End.

"Grimlock's chaotic" said Starscream "Getting a fix on his location will be difficult; but we'll find him eventually"

"Well; the sooner we have him, the better" said Dead End "That beast almost chewed me up"

"He does have a point" said Slipstream "Grimlock's unpredictable; he doesn't share Optimus's sense of morals, which makes it worse for us. He's sticking to the shadows for the moment and only coming out when we're not expecting him, that's what makes him difficult to track" At that moment, Soundwave walked up to them.

"Starscream, I have found something of great importance" said Soundwave.

"Then punch it up" said Starscream.

"As you command" said Soundwave. He extended his tentacles out and connected them into a computer. The screen came up with the report of the car crash. Starscream read it.

"Hmm…now this is interesting" said Starscream.

"What is it?" asked Dead End.

"There was an attack on a Human vehicle last night and there the aggressor vehicle apparently had a marking on it" replied Starscream.

"Attacking a Human vehicle" said Slipstream "That doesn't sound like Optimus's style"

"Precisely" said Starscream "And since I haven't heard from any of the crew on such an attack, then it must mean there is a new Decepticon on the loose; and one who holds a disdain for Humans. And it has the location as well; this is too great an opportunity to miss"

"Do you want a squad to be sent out?" asked Slipstream.

"No" replied Starscream "Optimus will learn about it soon enough if he does not know of it already; sending a squad out would attract unnecessary attention. Soundwave, send Laserbeak to patrol the area and monitor everything"

"As you command" said Soundwave. He ejected Laserbeak from his chest who flew off within an instant.

 _Later_

"I'll send you to different parts of the general area" said Ratchet whilst programming the ground bridge "That way we'll be able to have an eye on the whole area simultaneously and without suspicion" He opened the ground bridge up. "This one's for you, Jazz"

"Got it" said Jazz whilst transforming and driving through it. Ratchet typed into the ground bridge controls again.

"Wheeljack" said Ratchet. Wheeljack transformed and drove through the portal. Ratchet typed into the controls again. "Arcee, this is yours"

"Wish me luck" said Arcee.

"You're gonna' need it" said Bumblebee. Arcee transformed and drove off through the portal.

"You're next, Bumblebee" said Ratchet whilst opening another portal.

"Good luck, Bumblebee" said Optimus. Bumblebee transformed and drove through the portal.

"And finally yours, Optimus" said Ratchet. Optimus transformed and drove through the portal and onto the road in front of him.

"Autobots, you've all been informed of the areas you will be patrolling tonight" said Optimus into his comlink "Remember to stay on alert for any sign of the car. If you see it, call for us and do not engage until the rest of us arrive; but make sure it doesn't escape. Is that clear?"

"Crystal" said Jazz through his comlink.

"Got it" said Wheeljack through his comlink.

"Understood" said Arcee through his comlink.

"You can count on us, Optimus" said Bumblebee through his comlink. Unbeknownst to them, Laserbeak flew over them watching very carefully.

 _Meanwhile_

"As I suspected; as soon as Optimus found out, he sent out to patrol the area" said Starscream whilst watching Laserbeak's vision through a computer screen which Soundwave had connected to through his tentacles.

"Should we go in yet?" asked Barricade.

"Only once the Decepticon reveals himself" replied Starscream "If Optimus gets a single sniff of our presence, he'll know what we're planning. No; for now, we'll watch"

 _Later_

"Bumblebee to Optimus, still no sign of any Decepticons" said Bumblebee into his comlink "How is it at your end?"

"Nothing yet" replied Optimus through his comlink "I've checked with the others and there is still no sign of the Decepticon anywhere"

"Maybe he caught wind of us and decided to take off" said Bumblebee.

"Maybe" said Optimus "Or maybe they're just bidding their time and waiting for the right opportunity to strike"

"Maybe" said Bumblebee "But let's not put all our eggs in one basket" A pair of highbeams suddenly flashed from the side of the road and the Dodge Viper zoomed out at blinding speed past Bumblebee. "Woah! Optimus, I think I found him"

"Are you sure of that?" asked Optimus.

"Either that or some maniac has **coincidently** decided to base himself around this exact same area" said Bumblebee.

"Stay on him, Bumblebee; but do not engage until we arrive" said Optimus.

"Got it" said Bumblebee whilst zooming after the Dodge Viper.

 _Meanwhile_

"Ratchet, do you have a fix on Bumblebee's coordinates?" asked Optimus into his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"I do, Optimus" replied Ratchet as he examined Bumblebee's coordinates "I'll send it to the rest of you; but he's moving at such a great speed that it will be hard to get an exact position"

 _Meanwhile_

"That's good enough, Ratchet" said Optimus "Autobots, Bumblebee has found the Decepticon and is in pursuit right now; Ratchet has sent us the coordinates for us to follow. We'll head there now"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee caught up with the Dodge Viper, he got a brief glimpse of its Decepticon insignia.

"Yep; definitely a Decepticon" said Bumblebee to himself. Suddenly, the Dodge Viper bashed into him various times. "Eh; now that's just rude!" He quickly swung back before it could bash into him again. However, it abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. "Oh scrap!" He crashed into the car and flew over, transforming in the process. He turned his hands into his double-barreled blasters and pointed them at it. "Alright buddy; I don't know what game you're playing, but it ends now"

"Game over?" said the Dodge Viper whilst transforming into Drag Strip "It's only just beginning, Autobot!"

"Wait a second, I know you" said Bumblebee "You were one of Springer's prisoners who escaped"

"You're right about that" smirked Drag Strip "Name's Drag Strip, fastest thing on four wheels!"

"Doesn't matter how fast you are" said Bumblebee "You're coming with us"

"No doubt you're referring to Optimus Prime and the rest of his lackeys" said Drag Strip "I'll be long gone by then. But first…I have a little proposal"

"And what would that be?" asked Bumblebee.

"Found this some time ago; Prime dropped, so I imagine that it's of great value to the Autobots" said Drag Strip whilst pulling out the disc of Optimus's memories that Lockdown created.

"I don't believe it!" said Bumblebee.

"Ah, so it's definitely of great importance" smirked Drag Strip whilst putting it away.

"Give it back" said Bumblebee "Believe me, you don't want to get into this"

"Do you really think you could be that fast?" smirked Drag Strip.

"I'll try my luck" said Bumblebee.

"Or maybe, you'll try something else" said Drag Strip "I don't imagine I have much time to say this, so I'll cut to the chase; if you want this back, you're gonna' have to earn it back" Bumblebee sighed.

"What do I have to do" sighed Bumblebee.

"Simple" replied Drag Strip "You see, the Humans have this little event called street racing in which they race each other in their vehicles. I know where the circuit is"

"So you want me to race for it?" said Bumblebee.

"Correct" said Drag Strip "Call it Survival of the Fastest if you will. You win, you get it back; but if I win, I get to keep it and do whatever I please with it"

"This is absurd!" said Bumblebee.

"Well; if that's the case, I guess the Decepticons could provide a better price" said Drag Strip.

"Now I really know you're crazy" said Bumblebee "As soon as Starscream finds out that you have that disc, he'll take it from your cold dead fingertips"

"I'll try my chances" said Drag Strip. It was then that a group of headlights appeared on the other end of the road. "Now remember, meet me back here tomorrow night at sundown; if you're not here by then, I'm taking this straight to the Decepticons. Oh; and this goes without saying, but…come alone" He transformed and sped off. As the other Autobots drove up to Bumblebee, they transformed.

"Bumblebee, what happened?" asked Optimus.

"Well; I suppose you could call it a good news-bad news situation" said Bumblebee.

 _Later_

"Are you certain that the exact same disc?" asked Optimus.

"I didn't good look of the disc during the Lockdown incident, but he told me that he saw you drop it so I guess we can't take chances" replied Bumblebee.

"Street racin's dangerous" said Jazz "We'll have to come prepared for him"

"No, we can't" said Bumblebee "He wants me to race him and me alone; if he sees a single other Autobot in the area, he'll ditch it within an instant"

"But are you certain that he'll keep his word if you win" said Ratchet "He is a Decepticon after all"

"What choice do we have?" asked Bumblebee.

"If you go in that race, chances are we'll be in for trouble" said Jazz.

"If I don't go to his wishes then we'll certainly be in for trouble" said Bumblebee.

"Wait; I think I have a plan" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

"Now this is curious" said Starscream.

"What is?" asked Dead End as he entered.

"It appears that our new Decepticon has made a deal with the Autobots" replied Starscream.

"And why would any self-respecting Decepticon do that?" said Dead End.

"That leads me to my new point" said Starscream "The new Decepticon has possession of something that is rightfully mine; a disc that contains the memories of Optimus Prime. I had a bounty hunter collect it, but he went dark on me and tried to charge me more. Naturally of course, the Autobots got ahold of it and I had thought it was lost; that is, until tonight when he unveiled it to the Autobots and made a deal with them"

"I still can't believe any Decepticon would go that low…wait a second…" said Dead End before noticing the screen capture of Bumblebee and Drag Strip. "That's Drag Strip"

"You know this rogue?" asked Starscream.

"Of course I do" replied Dead End "Drag Strip and I were once in a squad together under the command of Commander Motormaster"

"What can you tell me about him?" asked Starscream.

"Well; he's nasty, loud-mouthed, and he just wants to win, regardless of the consequences" replied Dead End "He would literally rather be scrapped than lose" Starscream scratched his chin.

"I think I have a plan" smirked Starscream.

 _The next day_

"Hey Bobby" said Melody into her phone whilst walking out of the front of her house "Yeah, I'm good…Really? But it's quite late now; I mean, it's almost sundown…Sure; it is a Saturday, I will admit that…and true, I do owe you that cup of coffee you promised…" It was then that she noticed Arcee on the sidewalk outside the house. "Sorry; something's just come up, I'll call you back…whenever…" She hung up and placed the phone back in her pocket. "Ever thought of giving me a little heads up before arriving unannounced"

"Sorry, I guess I was just in a hurry to pick you up" said Arcee. Melody sat down on her seat. "Remember the helmet"

"Right…" said Melody. She ran back inside, emerged with her motorcycle helmet, and sat down on Arcee's seat again. Arcee drove off down the street. "So why the pick up?"

"There's a bit of show on tonight and we want you to be watching" replied Arcee.

 _Later_

As night fell, Bumblebee drove out to the location he met Drag Strip last night and transformed.

"Looks like there's no sign of him just yet" said Bumblebee into his comlink.

"Could he have hightailed it?" asked Jazz through his comlink.

"I don't think so" said Bumblebee "He said he'd be here. And a little advice, try not to contact me; we need to convince him that I'm just going along with it"

"Got it" said Jazz "We'll keep the body-cam on so we know when to come in" At that moment, Drag Strip drove up to him and transformed.

"Well well well; look who decided to show up" said Drag Strip "Smart choice. Any other Autobots?"

"No, just me" said Bumblebee.

"Got any proof?" asked Drag Strip.

"Just look around" replied Bumblebee "Do you see any other Autobots?" Drag Strip looked around for a brief moment.

"Alright, you're in the clear" said Drag Strip "C'mon, Stripey; this way to the street race" He transformed and drove off. Bumblebee transformed and drove off after him. The two of them were both unaware that Barricade and Dead End sat on the side of the road watching them.

"Looks like they're making a move" said Barricade "Dead End, follow them but stay out of sight"

"Why do I have to do that?" asked Dead End "Starscream said this job was for the both of us"

"I've seen these street races before" replied Barricade "If a police car turns up, the Humans will scatter like cockroaches and it will make capturing Drag Strip all the more difficult. Besides; you were in a squad with him, you'll know enough about him"

"Alright, alright; I'll go" said Dead End whilst driving forward slowly "Besides; just because I was in a squad with him doesn't mean I like him"

"And remember to stay out of sight" said Barricade "Lord Starscream, we've found both Drag Strip and the Autobot Bumblebee. We'll wait until they're both comfortable enough so we can take Drag Strip"

"Good work, Barricade" said Starscream through his comlink "Now remember, bring the disc back to me in one piece; no exceptions. I want ALL of Optimus's secrets"

"Understood" said Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee and Melody rushed in.

"So, Bumblebee's taking part in a street race" said Melody.

"It's only to fool Drag Strip" said Jazz.

"Still, those things are risky not to mention illegal" said Melody "The reports I've heard are really nasty"

"We'll only allow it for a certain amount of time" said Optimus "Then we'll send in reinforcements to help Bumblebee capture Drag Strip and get the disc back"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Drag Strip drove up to the starting line of the street racing circuit. Feeling nervous, he slowly drove alongside another car just before Drag Strip zoomed by his side.

"Good luck, Stripey" said Drag Strip "After all, as far as I know; if you don't win this, you and the rest of your Autobots are doomed"

"That would assume that I'm going to lose this race" said Bumblebee.

"You're acting as if you're going to win it" said Drag Strip.

"Circuit drivers, are you ready!" called out the starter.

 _Meanwhile_

The other Autobots and Melody watched quietly at the body-cam of Bumblebee on Teletraan.

"Please let this work" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Dead End quietly snuck in at the end of the starting line.

"Three…" said the starter "…two….one…GO!" The cars zoomed off with Drag Strip quickly taking the lead.

"Oh no you don't!" said Bumblebee as he accelerated after Drag Strip. Dead End followed after them.

"Dead End to Barricade, I'm in pursuit of both the Autobot and Drag Strip" said Dead End into his comlink "Problem is these meatbags keep blocking me off. I could use a little backup"

"Keep on them" said Barricade out of his comlink "I'm on my way there now. Make sure not to draw too much attention to yourself from the Insects. And make sure that Drag Strip isn't too damaged; the last thing we need is for that disc to shatter"

 _Meanwhile_

"With all those cars, it looks like Bumblebee could use a little help" said Ratchet.

"You're right, Ratchet; Bumblebee cannot face these odds on his own" said Optimus "Jazz, Arcee, Wheeljack; since you three can blend in with that crowd, you'll go there and help Bumblebee"

"Good plan, but there's one problem" said Arcee.

"If that Decepticon gets a whiff of us, he'll zip off" said Wheeljack.

"Then we'd better make sure we're extra careful and blend in real well" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Drag Strip zoomed way at the front with absolute glee.

"You think you're so good, don't you?" said Bumblebee as he carefully navigated throughout the other vehicles "We'll, let's see how great you are when I take the lead" He zoomed forward ahead of Drag Strip.

"What!?" exclaimed Drag Strip.

"Sorry, Drag Strip" said Bumblebee "Looks like that disc is as good as mine" Drag Strip growled and accelerated at him, bashing him savagely in the boot. "Woah; looks like someone's a bad loser"

"Charming, but you're quips can't save you from failure" said Drag Strip.

"I think you underestimate the power of the quip" smirked Bumblebee. Drag Strip drove up next to him and began to bash him on the side. "You know, I was hoping you'd manage your expectations a bit; after all, what you're giving me is of extra importance" Drag Strip cackled evilly. "Something funny?"

"You don't get it, do you, Stripey!" laughed Drag Strip.

"Now that's just rude" said Bumblebee.

"Do you really think I would be that stupid as to simply risk giving you something of great importance?" said Drag Strip "No; I lured you out here so I could prove my superiority; that's what I live for, the thrill of absolute victory! The sight of my opponents totally and utterly humiliated and destroyed is what gives me purpose and what drives me forward! Even if you do SOMEHOW win, I'm out of here and giving this over to the Starscream"

"Bumblebee, this is Arcee" said Arcee through Bumblebee's comlink "We've just arrived on the track. We'll be there in a few seconds to block Drag Strip off. Until then, keep him busy"

"Well, you're not getting any victory tonight" smirked Bumblebee. Jazz, Arcee, and Wheeljack appeared from behind a group of cars and surrounded Drag Strip, blocking him off.

"What is this!?" exclaimed Drag Strip.

"I told my story to Optimus and we both agreed that we couldn't trust you at all" replied Bumblebee. Drag Strip desperately tried to drive away but couldn't get out. "Do you really think you could be that fast?"

"Barricade, we've got trouble" said Dead End into his comlink "It looks like Bumblebee brought some friends. We could really use a little help"

"I'm almost there now" replied Barricade "And don't worry; Starscream's already sent in backup" At that moment, Thundercracker and Skywarp appeared above them and flew over.

"Geez, and you're the one who told me about **blending** in" said Dead End.

"It's Thundercracker and Skywarp!" exclaimed Jazz "Take cover!" Thundercracker and Skywarp began shooting at them.

"Don't shoot Drag Strip, we need him!" yelled Barricade as he drove up to the course and drove down to it.

"Looks like someone called the cops" said Wheeljack.

"AH HA!" yelled Drag Strip as he quickly sped through a small gap that formed between them.

"He's getting away!" exclaimed Arcee.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Bumblebee "Let's—" Thundercraker and Skywarp began shooting at them again.

"Looks like we'll have to hold off on that" said Jazz. Barricade drove up in front of him, transformed, and grabbed him by the front. Jazz quickly transformed and gave him an uppercut punch.

"Thundercracker, Skywarp; assist me!" said Barricade as he watched Dead End zoom past him. Thudnercracker and Skywarp flew down and landed beside him, blocking the rest of the road. Bumblebee, Arcee, and Wheeljack stopped in their tracks and transformed. "I believe the Human phrase for this situation is "end of the line""

"There's another Human phrase for this situation: "I don't think so"" said Jazz. He and the other Autobots turned their hands into their blasters and began shooting at Barricade and the others, who shot back in response "Bumblebee, go after Drag Strip" Bumblebee nodded transformed, and drove off.

 _Meanwhile_

As Drag Strip rushed forward, he noticed Dead End accelerating towards him through his rear-view mirror.

"You guys just won't give up, will you?" said Drag Strip "Then how'd you like this!" He turned around and accelerated faster and drove off of the circuit and into the barren terrain. Dead End retracted out a pair of blasters from his hood and shot Drag Strip in the wheel. "AH!" He skidded out of control towards a large rock and crashed into it, transforming upon impact. "Who do you think you are?" Dead End slowed down and transformed.

"I thought we would never meet again" said Dead End "I even hoped"

"What, Dead End?" exclaimed Drag Strip "What are you doing here?"

"I think you know all too well why" said Dead End.

"Wait, is this about the disc?" said Drag Strip.

"Did you really think it was a wise choice to make a deal with an Autobot out in the wide open like that?" said Dead End "Soundwave caught everything and Starscream is not the slightest bit amused by it. You've made some foolish decisions in your time, but not even Lugnut could do something this absurd" From behind another rock stood Bumblebee who peered out and watched them.

"Looks like I'm in over my head" said Bumblebee to himself "A single bad move and everything's lost. What am I going to…wait, I know. Optimus, do you hear me?"

 _Meanwhile_

"Loud and clear, Bumblebee" replied Optimus into Teletraan "What is the matter?"

"Drag Strip's off the circuit and I've followed him" replied Bumblebee "Good thing is he's stopped and cornered; bad news is, Dead End's the one who's cornered him"

"By the AllSpark!" said Ratchet "Have they—"

"They're just talking currently, but one wrong move could be real bad" replied Bumblebee.

"Stay there, Bumblebee; I'm on my way" said Optimus.

"Get us a clear view of the two of them, Bumblebee" said Ratchet "If Optimus is going in, we'll need a good position to avoid being seen by the two of them"

"Consider it done" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

"What; you really thought I was going to hand this disc over to the Autobots?" said Drag Strip "I just wanted to humiliate the squirt, that's all"

"And you used something precious to do it" said Dead End "Starscream has a whole army aboard that warship, you're not safe. However, I'm going to offer you this one chance; hand over the disc and I will let you go"

"What, seriously?" said Drag Strip "What for?"

"Do you remember long ago when we were in that squad together?" asked Dead End.

"Well, yes" replied Drag Strip "It was you, me, Wildrider, and Motormaster"

"You could say that I have some small affinity for you" said Dead End.

"But I thought you hated me" said Drag Strip.

"Don't push me" said Dead End "I'm putting everything on the line for this. That squad was one of the few things in life that had actual meaning to me and you ruined everything. Your nasty and self-absorbed attitude, putting your own goals before the rest of the squad; no wonder we fell apart in the end. You took away everything that had meaning to me and you didn't even care about it. By all rights, I should shoot you right here and now, take that disc from you, and then hand you over to Starscream"

"Then why don't you?" asked Drag Strip.

"Because you're all I have left" replied Dead End "If I hand you over, I'm handing over the only piece of my past remaining"

"What do you think Starscream will make of this?" asked Drag Strip.

"Just hand over the disc and I'll tell him that you got away" said Dead End.

"Really?" said Drag Strip "You would…let me go, just like that?" Dead End reluctantly nodded his head. "Alright then…" He slowly took the disc out. "I suppose that's fair"

"What is the meaning of this?" said a voice. Dead End turned around to see Barricade standing behind him. "Why isn't the traitor unconscious?"

"This doesn't concern you, Barricade" said Dead End "Back off"

"Oh; but I think it does concern me, very much" said Barricade "Starscream specifically said he wanted both the disc and the traitor"

"Traitor would imply that he intentionally sold out his own kind" said Dead End "Drag Strip might be foolish, but no Decepticon would do that"

"Um, do I get a say in this?" asked Drag Strip.

"Stay out of this!" snapped Barricade.

"But…but…" said Drag Strip as he cautiously looked around.

"Listen, I know you have history with him so I can understand why you feel the need to defend him" said Barricade "But unless you want to be classified as a traitor as well, you'll help me take both him and the disc in. Hey, where'd he go?" Dead End turned around to see that Drag Strip had vanished.

"That little—" said Dead End. Suddenly, both he and Barricade got picked up at their backs by something unseen.

"I hope that wasn't too startling" said Optimus with his battle mask down.

"PRIME!" exclaimed Barricade "What are you…oh never mind; what do you want?"

"I have merely come for the disc" said Optimus "Give it back to me and I will let you go"

"Even if we did have it we wouldn't give it to you" said Barricade "Lord Starscream would be very displeased"

"Wait; if you do not have the disc, then who does?" asked Optimus.

"The traitor Drag Strip still has it and he snuck off" replied Barricade "By the looks of it, neither of us will see that disc again"

"Quickly, transform and drive off" said Dead End. He and Barricade transformed and sped off.

"Bumblebee, Drag Strip has the disc" said Optimus into his comlink "Have you located him"

"I have" replied Bumblebee through the comlink "I'm on his trail"

"Hold tight; I'm on my way" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

Drag Strip desperately zoomed across the plain, being hindered by his broken wheel. Eventually he stopped and transformed when he reached the edge of a large chasm.

"Oh scrap it!" exclaimed Drag Strip "Where did this come from?"

"Then why don't you just fly over?" said a voice. Drag Strip turned around to see Bumblebee standing before him. "Unless that's something you just **can't** do"

"You!" said Drag Strip "How did you catch up to me?"

"Word of advice: On Earth, cars don't move fast when they've lost a wheel" smirked Bumblebee "Listen; it's been a rough night and I just want to get this over and done with. Just give me the disc and we'll stop bothering you for the night" Drag Strip turned his hands into blasters and pointed them at him. "Woah woah!"

"No thank you!" snapped Drag Strip "If I give you this disc, what's to stop Starscream and his Decepticons from hunting me?"

"Then we'll tell him that you don't have the disc" said Bumblebee "Just take it gently"

"No!" said Drag Strip "No, it's not going to work like that; I'm a wanted criminal by them and they're not going to just stop. This disc is the only leverage I have and I'm holding onto it"

"Do you really think Starscream will go easy on you if you still have the disc?" asked Bumblebee.

"He'll be even less easy on me if I don't have it" said Drag Strip.

"Drag Strip, listen; if you give me the disc, the Autobots will grant you protection from Starscream" said Bumblebee "Please, you have to believe me"

"Do you really think I would beli—" said Drag Strip shortly before the edge of the chasm started to crumble off, causing the disc to bounce out. "The disc!" Bumblebee leapt forward, caught the disc, and grabbed onto Drag Strip's hand.

"It's all right, I got you" said Bumblebee. Suddenly, the edge of the chasm that held him crumbled off forcing him to hang on to the ledge. Drag Strip slowly slipped from his hands.

"No!" exclaimed Drag Strip whilst desperately tightening his grip.

"Just hang on a little longer" said Bumblebee "I'll get us both out of here" Drag Strip desperately held on with both his hands. "That might be a bit too much!" Drag Strip began slipping again until he finally dropped off and disappeared through the dust clouds below. "Drag Strip!" The rocks he held onto slowly began to crumble. "Oh no!" He lost his grip of the edge and was about to plummet down when he suddenly felt another hand grab his.

"Hold tight, Bumblebee" said Optimus as he slowly pulled him up. Bumblebee smiled at this.

 _Meanwhile_

"This is a disappointment, Dead End" said Starscream "I thought that you, at the very least, would not be so foolish"

"Believe me, trusting him was a mistake" said Dead End "It's too bad I had to learn that the hard way"

"And because of this mistake, our opportunity to destroy the Autobots has ceased permanently" said Starscream "We could be marching into the hidden base right now and staining its floors with Autobot blood; but instead, we are back to square one and it is all your fault, the both of you"

"Both of us?" said Barricade "With all due respect, my lord; I advised against Dead End's action, I even threatened him"

"But did you successfully convince him?" said Starscream.

"Well, no—" said Barricade.

"Then you both failed" said Starscream "And without Drag Strip captive, we can't even make him suffer for all of this. I want this to be clear; next time we find him, I want him brought straight to me. No exceptions!"

"Believe me; after what happened tonight, I won't ever show him mercy again" said Dead End.

 _Meanwhile_

"Can I do the honors, Optimus?" asked Jazz.

"With pleasure" replied Optimus. Jazz picked up the disc, spun around, and threw it before shooting it down with a quick blast.

"Pull!" smirked Melody.

"You took the words right out of my mouth" said Jazz. At the back of the room, Arcee walked over to comfort Bumblebee, who was silently leaning against the wall.

"You alright, Bee?" asked Arcee.

"I'm great" replied Bumblebee "I mean, I got the disc back and Optimus himself is happy with me. I'm just not feeling good about what happened to Drag Strip. He may have been self-centered and zealous, but I don't he was truly evil"

 _Meanwhile_

As Drag Strip slowly regained consciousness, he found himself being pulled through a large open door in a greyish-silver hallway. As he slowly tilted his head up, he saw that a large green and purple bulky Decepticon was dragging him through the hallway by his leg. To the Decepticon's side were two other Decepticons with a similar color scheme but different body shapes.

"Hey look, he's finally waking up" said Bonecrusher (the muscular one on the left).

"Really, huh?" snorted Long Haul (the bulky one in the middle).

"You should deem yourself lucky that we were in the area at the time" said Scavenger (the skinny one on the right) "If we weren't there, you would have surely hit the ground and died"

"At least it gave us a reason to get out of that tedious dirt work" said Long Haul "To think; Scrapper sends us off to this boring task and just leaves us there with no further instructions" They entered a large room and he threw Drag Strip into the middle of it.

"What is this?" asked Drag Strip "Why have you brought me here?"

"To serve a purpose" said a sultry voice. Drag Strip turned around to see Airachnid appear from the shadows.

"Woah!" said Drag Strip as he looked at her up and down "What is it you want with me, baby" Airachnid walked up to him and tilted his chin up with her claw-like finger.

"A partner of mine needs an army" replied Airachnid "I require your assistance"

 **Hellman76** : I can't tell you too much because it will spoil a lot of the story, but he'll be back by the end of this season.

 **Martin** : Now that you mention it, he was a bit like Nemesis Prime with the dark coloration and red eyes.


	15. Optics

_Suburbs of Carson City_

It was around midnight and barely anyone was out. Suddenly, a large silhouette of a two-legged creature with multiple tentacles bounded out and leaped across the streets at high speeds. It was then that Prowl emerged from the shadows in vehicle mode.

"I've got a visual" said Prowl "Grab him" At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee drove out from his right whilst Jazz and Wheeljack drove out from his left and accelerated after the silhouette. The silhouette bounded off quickly.

"He's makin' a break for it, Prowl" said Jazz "Could use a little assistance" Prowl drove after them.

"Bumblebee, Arcee; take his right" said Prowl. Bumblebee and Arcee acclerated up to the silhouette's right. "Jazz, you and I will break off his left" He and Jazz acclerated up to the silhouette's left. "Wheeljack, you know what to do"

"Got it, fearless leader" said Wheeljack. He extended an attachment from his back which held a harpoon like weapon. He shot the harpoon out and it flew past the silhouette, catching it up with a net in the process.

"Got him!" said Jazz. The five Autobots drove up to the netted silhouette and transformed. Exposed to the street lamp's light, the silhouette was revealed to be Spittor in his vehicle mode.

"How long should that hold him for?" asked Prowl.

"Well, I haven't really field tested it before; but in my workshop, they held up for several hours" said Wheeljack "That should be plenty of time to get him back through the ground bridge, right?"

"Ratchet, we need you to—" said Prowl into his comlink shortly before Spittor transformed and ripped his way out of the net, hopping away. "What the!? I thought you sai—"

"Damn!" said Wheeljack "I forgot to test on holding up with transforming. Damn it!"

 _Meanwhile_

Spittor slowly crept through the alleyways.

"Crazy Autobots!" mumbled Spittor. At that moment, Bulkhead appeared in front of him and knocked him out with his mace.

"Surprise!" said Bulkhead. He picked Spittor up, flung him over his shoulder, and walked out of the alleyway to the others. "Looked what I found"

"Good work, Bulkhead" said Prowl "We've been trying to track Spittor for days. It was easy tracking him because of all the mess he made, but capturing him was always difficult" At that moment, Spittor's optics flung wide open and he wriggled out of Bulkhead's grip.

"Looks like he's still got some fight left in him" said Bulkhead.

"Just make sure he doesn't run away this time" said Prowl "Everyone, surround him" The Autobots surrounded Spittor. "Okay; now he's going to leap for it" Suddenly, Spittor shot out his long metal tongue and swung Prowl off his feet.

"Oh no you don't!" said Jazz whilst swinging a punch, only for Spittor to catch him by the wrist and twist his arm.

"Attack!" said Arcee as she, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack leapt in, only for all of them to be countered and knock out within a matter of seconds. Spittor crawled up to the unconscious Prowl and looked over with, his mouth open and dripping a strange orange liquid.

" _No; not yet…_

 _We don't want to throw away potential servants, now do we?_

 _Come back…"_

Spittor leapt off into the night. As Prowl slowly regained consciousness, he only got a brief glimpse of the escaping transformer.

"What on the second moon of Cybertron?" said Prowl.

 **Optics**

 _The Nemesis_

"Amidst Starscream's hits and misses, we've made no progress" said Blackout "There's been nothing to move up my position"

"Can't we just crush him where he stands?" asked Lugnut.

"No no, Lugnut!" snapped Blackout "There would be no use to killing him right now. He is protected by the entire Decepticon forces aboard the _Nemesis_ ; a single attack against him would soon be countered by all of the Vehicons and more. Such victory would be short lived. No; until we have the right opportunity, Starscream must remain untouched"

"Then what should we do then?" asked Lugnut.

"Without the support of the other Decepticons, we'll need to assemble our own Decepticon army to take over" said Blackout "And the universe may have just given us our first opportunity" He got out a hologram projector and brought up a hologram of Spittor. "This is Spittor; he was one of the Decepticon prisoners who escaped from the Wrecker's ship. He's been sighted around the suburbs of Carson City recently and the Autobots have tried and failed to capture him many times. I need you to capture him and bring him to me"

"Why can't you do it yourself?" asked Lugnut.

"Starscream already has enough reasons to distrust me" replied Blackout "If I'm spotted out there, it'll ruin everything. Understood? Now go!"

 _Meanwhile at the Ark_

"It just doesn't make any sense at all" said Prowl "All the times we've chased Spittor, his first instinct is to run away no matter what. I planned that strategy since the last time he ran away, I observed each time for notes; the plan was full proof but he still got away"

"Well, there is that old Earth sayin'; even a cornered rat will fight" said Ironhide.

"There's no denying that" said Prowl "But on the odd occasion Spittor does stop to attack or defend, his fighting style is very mundane like Earth's gorillas or kangaroos. Jazz and the others described his fighting style tonight to be much more precise"

"Meaning?" asked Ironhide.

"Meaning he was able to counterattack and use great creativity with it" said Prowl "I've never seen him so precise with that tongue of his. He was able to swipe me off my feet without warning"

"Maybe he's learnt a few moves?" said Breakaway.

"No, I don't think it was that" said Prowl. "The change in style was almost instant; it was almost like someone or something took him over and made him do that"

"You mean like…mind control?" said Breakaway reluctantly.

"That's very possible" replied Prowl "There's been evidence of such cases during the war for Cybertron" Breakaway closed his eyes tight.

 _Breakaway's flashback_

In the Cybertronian city of Praxus, Breakaway looked down at through the streets of his city from the top of a building as it was rampaged by Vehicons and other Cybertronians, all of whom ripped anyone in their path to shreds. Suddenly, a group of the Vehicons reached the roof, circled him, and grabbed hold of his limbs, ready to rip him apart.

" _No…_

 _Bring as many of the citizens back to me…"_

The Vehicons stopping pulling and instead carried Breakaway off.

"Where are you taking me?!" exclaimed Breakaway. The Vehicons didn't respond. "Please, let me go! STOP!"

 _Back to reality_

Breakaway opened his eyes again.

"Should I repeat what I just said?" asked Prowl.

"What?" said Breakaway.

"I just said that we need to be wary in this situation" replied Prowl "If whoever's behind Spittor's recent aggression is indeed using mind control, he could so easily use it on us. Is that clear?"

"Yeah…got it" said Breakaway.

 _Meanwhile_

Lugnut flew over the desert in search of Spittor.

"Lugnut to Blackout, there's no sight of Spittor anywhere" said Lugnut into his comlink "Are you sure this is the right spot?"

 _Meanwhile_

"The location you are at is the center of the areas he has been spotted at" said Blackout into his comlink "Keep searching, he won't stay hidden for long"

"Blackout!" said a voice. Blackout turned to see Starscream standing before him with Slipstream and Soundwave standing beside him.

"What is it, Starscream?" asked Blackout.

"Some of our Vehicons have been vanishing recently" replied Starscream.

"Let me guess: you turn to me because you think I am responsible for it" said Blackout.

"It wouldn't be the first time you manipulated the Vehicons" said Starscream.

"What would I do with all those Vehicons?" asked Blackout.

"I don't know" replied Starscream "Perhaps to raise a private army to overthrow me; you were particularly torn up after that contest for leadership"

"If I were, what would you do about it?" asked Blackout.

"You'll see eventually" replied Starscream "Consider this a friendly warning; if you're trying anything, better to stop now while you still can"

"Understood" said Blackout. Starscream raised an eyebrow. "…Lord Starscream" Starscream, Slipstream, and Soundwave walked off.

"I don't trust him" said Slipstream "We should lock him up now"

"In time, sister" said Starscream "We just need him to slip up so we can receive everything he has. Soundwave, keep tabs on Blackout; let me know of anything out of the ordinary"

"As you command" replied Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

"Stupid metal frog!" snarled Lugnut "Why can't he just—" At that moment, he noticed Spittor hopping across the terrain. "Spittor! Finally!" He flew down and started shooting at him. Spittor noticed this and attempted to jump faster.

" _Don't lose him just yet, my pretty…_

 _Led him back to me…"_

Spittor slowed down to a pace in which Lugnut could follow but not overcome.

 _Meanwhile in the suburbs of Carson City_

Melody speed walked down the streets whilst looking down at her watch impatiently.

"Dammit'!" said Melody to herself "The one time I am able to set it up I get myself late" She arrived at a coffee shop where she saw Bobby waiting for her at a table by the window inside. "Oh dear!" She rushed inside and up to the table. "Sorry I'm late, Bobby"

"Late?" said Bobby "Actually, you're quite early" Melody looked over at a clock that sat on the wall next to them and saw that her wristwatch was a few minutes in front.

"Oh…" said Melody "Wow; I must have really forgotten to wind my watch right"

"Well, I suppose you could never truly count on technology" said Bobby.

 _A few minutes later_

Melody took a sip of her coffee.

"So how have things been?" asked Melody.

"They've been pretty good" said Bobby "I mean; nothing much has really happened, but—"

"But at least ordinary means nothing bad has happened" said Melody.

"Did you just take the words out of my mouth?" said Bobby.

"I think I did" smirked Melody.

"So how have things for you've been" asked Bobby.

"Well…ordinary…to say the least" said Melody.

"Really?" said Bobby "Because…I thought you were doing something"

"What makes you say that?" asked Melody.

"Well; I barely see you after school anymore, or even on weekends for that matter" replied Bobby "It took ages just to organize this cup of coffee. Do you have some sort of club on or something?"

"Well, I've just been busy" replied Melody.

"Define busy" said Bobby "Busy with what?" Melody closed her eyes for a moment.

"I wish I could tell you, I really wish I could" said Melody "But I just can't at the moment"

"Why can't you tell me?" asked Bobby. Melody was about to answer when she noticed an article in the newspaper in front of her. She grabbed onto it and looked at it.

 _DISAPPEARING CIVILIANS:_

 _PASSIVE OR PROBLEM?_

"Missing people?" said Melody "What's all this about?"

"It started only a few days ago" replied Bobby "People around the suburbs have been disappearing night after night mysteriously. It started off small but now it's getting real bad"

"What else can you tell me?" asked Melody.

"I pretty much just told you the common knowledge" replied Bobby "No one knows who's responsible but there is something off about the place recently. My little sister Olivia was coming home late one night when she briefly caught sight of something leaping across the rooftops. She described it as some kind of robot frog" A shocked expression befell on Melody's face and she stood up immediately.

"I…need to relieve myself…if you know what I mean" said Melody. She rushed off to the woman's restroom. Bobby sighed in his seat.

 _Meanwhile_

Melody got out her phone and called Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee, I just got something you may want to hear" said Melody.

 _Meanwhile_

Spittor reached a large cave and hopped into it. When Lugnut reached the cave he transformed and landed in front of it.

"I've got you now!" said Lugnut whilst turning his hand into his power mace. He walked inside the cave where he found Spittor standing beside a group of stalagmite. "Disgusting thing! If you don't want to end up bruised and battered you will come with me willingly"

"What are you doing!?" exclaimed Spittor "Get out of here while you still can!"

"Or what?" asked Lugnut.

"Or he'll take you!" replied Spittor "He'll break you and enslave you like he did to me!"

"Who will?" asked Lugnut.

"Him!" exclaimed Spittor "I was wondering the landscape when I came across this cave and found him; just one look into his optics and he'll ensnare you!"

"That's enough" said Lugnut "Do you really think I'm stupid enough for a joke like that"

"No joke!" said Spittor "It's not just me, it's—" At that moment, he held his head and yelled out in pain.

"What is that supposed to mean?" said Lugnut.

"It means that I am unsatisfied with him" said a whispery voice. Lugnut looked up to see a black, tyrian purple, and crimson Decepticon hanging from the roof upside-down. He had a pair of bat-like wings mounted on his back and his fingers and toes were very claw-like. His forearms had blade-like shapes on it and his body was so thin he could be considered anorexic by Cybertronian standards. But perhaps his most unsettling features came from his face which was identified by his teeth which resembled vampire fangs and his piercing red optics.

"It's too late!" exclaimed Spittor. He leapt to the ground in front of Lugnut.

"Who are you supposed to be?" asked Lugnut.

"I am a Decepticon like you, only…different" replied Mindwipe. He looked at Lugnut up and down multiple times in a disturbing fashion. "Great strength…yes, you could most useful"

"What are you talking about?" said Lugnut "And what is your name?"

"My name is Mindwipe" replied the Decepticon "But you shall call me master"

"I serve only one master and it isn't you!" snarled Lugnut.

"I never said you had a choice in the matter" said Mindwipe.

"Enough of this!" snarled Lugnut as he raised his power mace above his head. Suddenly, he felt a great searing pain in his head which caused him to writhe on the ground.

"You're all mine!" said Mindwipe whilst licking his lips.

 _Meanwhile_

"If we can't go outside, what then?" asked Ironhide.

"I never said that we can't go outside" replied Prowl "We just need to take precaution" At that moment, Bumblebee entered.

"I just got a heads up from Melody" said Bumblebee "She says she just saw a newspaper article of people disappearing throughout the area"

"People, as in Humans?" asked Prowl.

"What else would I mean?" said Bumblebee.

"That doesn't make sense" said Prowl "Cybertronians I understand, but why would he use Humans?"

"What do you mean he?" asked Bumblebee.

"Ever since what happened with Spittor last night, I've come to believe that mind control was responsible" replied Prowl "His actions just seemed out of character…" Breakaway closed his eyes again.

 _Breakaway's flashback_

Breakaway was dragged by the Vehicons over to the edge of the city where Mindwipe stood with an army of Cybertronians guarding him.

"What have we here?" said Mindwipe. He walked up to Breakaway. "A civilian?" Mindwipe looked at him intently. "Wings; you're a flier…yes, that could be useful"

"Useful?" said Breakaway "What are you going to do with me?"

"Do not worry, you won't die" replied Mindwipe. He grabbed Breakaway by the chin and lifted his head up. "Just relax and look into my optics" As Breakaway looked into his optics, he felt a feeling of cold dread mixed with an uncontrollable dizziness. As Mindwipe stepped back from him, he found that couldn't move. "Perfect! Now join the others" Breakaway walked over to the other hypnotized Cybertronians.

 _Back to reality_

Breakaway sighed and left the room.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Ironhide.

"He seems…sad" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

"I am disappointed with you, Spittor" said Mindwipe.

"Please, master!" said Spittor "I admit that I was foolish; but I've learnt from it, I swear!"

"And how am I supposed to know that?" said Mindwipe "I clearly told you to bring me the Decepticon who was following you; and yet when he finally arrives, you hesitated. Is this a sign of resistance I see in you? Because if so…well, I think you know very well how I take resistance" His glare fired up.

"Please!" begged Spittor as he held his head in pain "I beg of you! Mercy!"

"There is none" replied Mindwipe. He released Spittor of his mind control. "Now, I have a job for you; and for your sake, I would recommend you follow through without any more signs of hesitation. Is this clear?"

"Yes…master!" said Spittor.

 _The next day_

"And then she just left without giving me any explanation whatsoever" said Bobby into his cellphone whilst lying on his bed "It took weeks just to get the gall to ask her for coffee and it took almost as long for her to comply" On the other end of the phone was Kate who sat at her laptop whilst listening to it through a pair of headphones.

"You're telling me, Bobby" said Kate "Melody and I have been best friends since primary school, yet now she's so secretive and barely hangs out with me afterschool anymore. Any idea what it's all about?"

"I tried asking her but she kept dodging my questions like she didn't want me to know" replied Bobby "All she told me was that she wanted to tell me but couldn't. It's like she's hiding something from us"

"I wonder if it has something to do with that new motorcycle she got a few weeks back" said Kate.

"New motorcycle?" said Bobby.

"Yeah" said Kate "It was around the time this all started. I talked to her at the end of the day and she suddenly seems to have a motorcycle and is able to drive it. I didn't even know she took lessons. She would've told u, right?"

"Apparently not" said Bobby "Do you think it's some kind of club or is she found some kind of secret friend?"

"We've got to do something about it" said Kate "I mean; we're her friends, we have to help her"

"You're right, Kate" said Bobby "We have to take action, and we have to take it now. When school finishes today, we'll find her and talk to her about it; deal?"

"Deal" said Kate.

 _Later_

As the school bell rang for end of day, Melody walked out and into the streets where she was intercepted by Bobby and Kate.

"Hey Melody, is it okay if we talk to you for a moment?" asked Bobby.

"Um…I would love to, but…" replied Melody.

"But what?" asked Kate. Melody sighed.

"Fine, I'm sure I can spare a minute" said Melody. Bobby and Kate brought Melody off into a nearby alleyway. "So what is it?"

"Melody, we know you're hiding something from us" replied Bobby "We just want to know what it is"

"Seriously, why don't we see you afterschool anymore?" asked Kate "Is there some kind of club or friend you hang out with now?"

"Listen, it's nothing" said Melody. Spittor looked over them from the top of a building.

"I'm not sure if this is going to work" said Spittor quietly.

" _It will work…_

 _Capture the yellow headed one and the Autobots will follow…"_

"But…there are other Humans there too" said Spittor quietly "What do I do with them?"

" _If there are any more Humans associated with the Autobots, take them with you as well…"_

"If there's nothing, then could you at least explain why you've been so secretive lately?" asked Bobby.

"Look; I wish I could tell you both, but I can't" said Melody.

"Can't or won't?" asked Kate.

"Can't" replied Melody "It's something bigger than any of us"

"Wait, does this have something to do with the people disappearing?" asked Bobby.

"Well…not exactly" replied Melody "But—" At that moment, Spittor slid down, grabbed the three of them within a blink of an eye, and leapt off.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove down the street when they noticed Spittor leaping across rooftops.

"Is that—" said Bumblebee.

"Spittor in broad daylight?" said Arcee "Yep, that's him. But what's he doing out here when anyone could see him?"

"Wait; what's that he's carrying?" asked Bumblebee. Arcee looked closer.

"It looks like he's carrying Humans" replied Arcee "I guess this confirms the connection between him and the disappearances. Wait a second; that's Melody he's carrying"

"Wait, are you serious?" said Bumblebee.

"It is her" said Arcee.

"We've got to stop him now!" said Bumblebee. He rushed off after Spittor.

"Bee, wait!" exclaimed Arcee as she followed after him. As soon as Spittor spotted them, he leapt off and ran off into the landscape with Bumblebee and Arcee following him closely behind. As soon as Spittor reached the cave, he entered it and disappeared into the darkness.

"What the heck is happening?" said Bobby.

"No time to explain" said Melody "I can feel his grip loosening. Quickly, try to squeeze yourselves down through it"

"You seem awfully calm about all of this" said Kate.

"I'll explain later" said Melody. The three of them carefully squeezed themselves out of Spittor's grasp and fell to the ground without him knowing. The three of them hid behind a rock formation.

"Care to explain now?" asked Bobby quietly.

"Shhh; I hear something" said Melody "It sounds like…drilling" She walked off to the direction of the drilling.

"Shouldn't we be walking away from strange sounds like that?" asked Bobby.

"I know that you two must have lots of questions; heck, I did too when I was first in this situation" said Melody "But right, just follow me and stay quiet"

"But the entrance to the cave is the other way" said Kate.

"As soon as he notices that we're gone, that's probably where he'll look first" said Melody.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove into the cave and transformed.

"We should really talk to Prowl about this" said Arcee.

"That'll just take time" said Bumblebee "We can't leave Melody at the mercy of any Decepticon. Besides, it's still two to one and he's cornered; if we keep our wits about ourselves, we might just be able to capture him this time"

"Really?" said a whispery voice. The two turned around to see Lugnut standing behind them.

"Lugnut, what are you doing here?" said Bumblebee.

"That wasn't Lugnut's voice" said Arcee.

"You're right" said the voice. Mindwipe leapt down in front. "It was mine!" His optics glared up.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway sat in his quarters and breathed a sigh.

"Something you'd like to tell us?" said a voice. Breakaway looked up to see Jazz standing at the entrance.

"What makes you think that?" asked Breakaway.

"Something about the situation has been bothering you recently" replied Jazz "Whatever it is, you have to tell us"

"It's nothing" replied Breakaway.

"C'mon; you can tell us, we'll always support you no matter what" said Jazz. Breakaway heaved a sigh.

"Alright" said Breakaway "But for the record, it was something really traumatizing; so I hope you understand my reluctance"

 _Meanwhile_

"Bumblebee, do you copy?" said Prowl into Teletraan I "Arcee, do you copy?"

"What's the trouble, Prowl?" asked Jazz as he and Breakaway entered.

"I'm trying to contact Bumblebee and Arcee but they're not responding to anything" replied Prowl "With what little we've found out about the power behind Spittor, this just isn't a good sign"

"Do you have their coordinates?" asked Jazz.

"I do, and they're both still functioning; but given the circumstances, I'd prefer a response first" replied Prowl. Breakaway sighed again.

"Prowl, I think I might have an idea on who's behind this" said Breakaway.

"Well, who is it?" asked Prowl.

 _Breakaway's flashback_

Breakaway and the other Cybertronians ravaged their way through the streets of Iacon, making their way violently towards the Hall of Records.

"Yes, yes!" said Mindwipe who led their charge "Almost there. All of the Autobots' most valuable treasures and secrets shall be mine!" As they reached the building's front, the doors opened wide. From the shadows of the hallway inside, the sound of an approaching tapping was heard. An elderly Autobot who was purple and magenta in color and had blue optics and a long white beard appeared, wielding only a small metal walking stick.

"Hello" said the elderly Autobot "I wasn't expecting such a crowd today at the Hall of Records.

"You?" said Mindwipe "You are the guardian of the Hall of Records; an old man?"

"Well, guardian seems a little over exaggerated a term" said the elderly Autobot "More so a librarian of sorts"

"Whoever you are, I've come a long way to assemble an army capable of overrunning Iacon and I'm not going to let some withered old scrap metal get in my way" said Mindwipe "Stand aside or else!"

"I'm sorry, but I cannot allow you inside" said the elderly Autobot.

"And what gives you the authority?" said Mindwipe.

"I am the archivist of Iacon" said the elderly Autobot "Oh, I must have forgotten to introduce myself, those things slip my mind; Alpha Trion, at your service"

"You're Alpha Trion?" said Mindwipe "The so-called "Last of the Original Twelve"? You're more ancient than a Predacon fossil!"

"It's called old age" said Alpha Trion "It's sad that few nowadays reach it"

"I guess it just increases my victory" said Mindwipe "One of the greatest Cybertronians of all time reduced to my drone!" He glared at Alpha Trion, who closed his optics just in time. "What!?"

"I have long since known of you too, Mindwipe" said Alpha Trion "You're hypnosis requires optic contact; without it, it's useless"

"I guess there's more than one way to skin a cybercat!" snarled Mindwipe. He leapt into the air towards Alpha Trion, who blocked the attack with his walking stick. "It seems you still have some energy left in you after all, old man"

"You may say old, but I prefer experienced" said Alpha Trion. Mindwipe started throwing punches and kicks, all of which were blocked by Alpha Trion's walking stick. Mindwipe snarled and threw a punch directly at his face, but found himself grabbing onto the walking stick. He threw a punch with his other hand, only to find it grabbing onto the walking stick again. As the two fought over control of the walking stick, Mindwipe eventually knocked Alpha Trion in the head with it and knocked him to the ground.

"You may have been a legend once, but those days have long past" said Mindwipe "Finish him!" The hypnotized Cybertronians rushed towards Alpha Trion. Suddenly, Alpha Trion reached within his cape, pulled out a small quill, and threw it straight Mindwipe's stomach. "AH!" At that moment, all of the hypnotized Cybertronians collapsed unconscious. Alpha Trion quickly grabbed his walking stick again and knocked Mindwipe out with it. As the other Cybertronians slowly regained consciousness, Breakaway lifted his head up to see what was happening.

"It is true what they say: the pen is mightier than the sword" said Alpha Trion.

 _Later_

Mindwipe was contained in a pair of handcuffs with a blindfold over his eyes as he was loaded into a dropship by a pair of Autotroopers.

"You haven't won, Trion!" snapped Mindwipe "One day…one day every Cybertronian, both Decepticon and Autobot, shall bow to me!"

"Then we'll just have to make sure that day doesn't come anytime soon" said Alpha Trion. As the dropship flew away, Breakaway walked up to him.

"Where are they taking him?" asked Breakaway.

"To a maximum security prison" replied Alpha Trion "His powers are even greater than we initially realized; he's become a threat to both Autobots and Decepticons alike"

 _Back to reality_

"It seems that prison didn't hold well in the end" said Bulkhead.

"Heard of this Mindwipe before" said Ironhide "He's a real creep from what I've found out"

"So what exactly did happen to Praxus?" asked Prowl.

"He made me destroy it" replied Breakaway "I was the only civilian his forces were able to capture, so he made me plant a bomb at the center of the city which destroyed it, along with any remaining civilians who survived initially"

"And you didn't do anything about it?" said Prowl.

"I couldn't, none of us could" said Breakaway "When he has you under his control, you lose all control of yourself; you become his puppet. You see everything, you feel everything, but you can't do anything to stop it"

"Prowl, can you hear me?" said a voice from Teletraan I "This is Bumblebee, over"

"I hear you" replied Prowl into Teletraan I.

"Good" said Bumblebee "Me and Arcee are a little worse for wear and we've found ourselves out of reach of the base. We were wondering if you could open a ground bridge and give us a pickup"

"Stay put, we'll be on our way" said Prowl.

"See you then" said Bumblebee.

"Something about that didn't sound right to me" said Bulkhead.

"If Mindwipe is really behind all of this, we can't risk opening the ground bridge at the exact coordinates" said Prowl "However, I think I might just have a plan"

 _Meanwhile_

"How could you let the Humans get away?" snapped Mindwipe.

"I was unaware of what was happening" begged Spittor "The moment I noticed they were gone I saw no sign of them"

"I'm afraid that is not good enough" said Mindwipe.

"But they're just Humans, not even fully grown ones" said Spittor "How much harm could they do"

"Never underestimate Humans, especially ones who have the Autobots' ears" replied Mindwipe as he glared at Spittor "Perhaps it was a mistake to let you give you enough freedom as it actually is; maybe because I'm still getting use to my powers again, I felt like taking it easy on you as to not entirely strain myself out"

"Please, master!" begged Spittor whilst holding his head in pain "I beg of you!"

"Find them!" snapped Mindwipe whilst pointing off to the side "If you do not, then I will have to reduce you to a mindless drone like the others"

"Will do, my master!" said Spittor. He hopped off.

 _Meanwhile_

"Care to explain everything now?" asked Bobby as they walked quietly through the tunnels "Preferably how you know of all of this and why you were so calm back there"

"I'll tell you guys about it, but it'll sound impossible" replied Melody.

"Given what we just saw, I'm open to almost anything" said Kate.

"Okay, it goes like this" said Melody "There are these robots here on Earth"

"Robots?" said Bobby "As in more than one?"

"Yeah, there's lots of them" replied Melody.

"What are they doing here on Earth?" asked Kate.

"Their home planet was devastated and they needed to find somewhere rich with their energy source" replied Melody "It brought them to here on Earth because it has lots of deposits of this energy source; but now they're stranded and can't get off"

"Why haven't we seen them around so much?" asked Bobby "I mean; "giant alien robots", that doesn't sound very subtle"

"That's because they can transform into vehicles in order to hide in public" replied Melody.

"And why haven't you told anyone about this?" asked Kate.

"Because it's a secret that needs to remain a secret" replied Melody "You see, there are two types of robots; there are the good ones who are called Autobots, and there are evil ones called Decepticons. They're fighting a secret war against each other; that's how their planet got devastated"

"So; the one who took us was—" said Bobby.

"A Decepticon?" said Melody "Correct"

"So that's why you didn't tell us; until today, I'd probably never believe it" said Kate.

"That's not the only reason" replied Melody "There's another"

"And what would that be?" asked Bobby.

"Everything that has happened is all because of an accident" said Melody "The Decepticons saw me around the Autobots and they assumed me to be with them. The Autobots brought me because I needed protection from them. Believe me, guys; you don't want to get into this"

"Hey, what's that?" said Kate. They had reached a clearing filled with Vehicons who were mining for energon.

"That would explain the drilling sound" said Melody quietly.

"Are those good ones or bad ones?" asked Bobby quietly.

"Bad ones" replied Melody quietly "And it looks like they're mining for energy"

"Wait, are those people?" asked Kate quietly. Melody looked out and saw that there were indeed Humans helping out.

"So who exactly knows of the secret?" asked Bobby quietly.

"Only myself and certain parts of the government from what I've heard" replied Melody quietly "We're in way over our heads here"

"You think?" said Kate.

"We have to get out of here" said Melody.

 _Meanwhile_

"Okay, let's head off" said Prowl as he opened a ground bridge. The Autobots headed towards the ground bridge, except for Breakaway who stayed by Teletraan I. "Breakaway, what are you doing?"

"I'm not coming" replied Breakaway.

"And why would that be?" asked Prowl.

"I…I just can't take it again" said Breakaway "The thought of him inside my head again…no, I just can't take it again"

"I know it must be difficult, but you have to put it aside" said Prowl "Mindwipe may have more under his controls than just Spittor, and we need to be prepared for anything above all else" He felt a hand placed on his shoulder and turned around to see Jazz shaking his head. He sighed. "If Optimus was here, he would understand why you're uncomfortable with this whole situation. You can stay here; besides, with Optimus and Ratchet gone, we'll need a bridge operator" He and the others walked through the portal and went out in front of the cave. "Let's go in" They walked into the cave silently.

"Remember, try not to make eye contact with anything that seems remotely like optics" said Jazz quietly "Man, I'd just hate it if he took control of one of us without the rest of us knowing"

"Then how do we beat him, then?" asked Ironhide quietly.

"From what I picked up from Breakaway's story; if we do damage to his physical body, his connection with the others will be cut off" replied Prowl quietly.

"So we just shoot him then" said Ironhide quietly.

"Sounds like a plan" said Bulkhead quietly.

"Just make sure you hit him" said Jazz quietly. They walked up to the entrance to the mining area and peered out into it. "I think we just found out what those missing Humans were for"

"Prowl to Breakaway, we've discovered an energon mine" said Prowl into his comlink quietly "He's using both Vehicons and Humans; it seems his connection to them is stronger than we'd thought"

"Uh, Prowl?" said Jazz quietly.

"What, J…oh!" said Prowl shortly before realizing that Lugnut stood behind them. Lugnut's hand turned into an explosive pad. "Breakaway, we've been discovered!"

 _Meanwhile_

"We need to—" said Prowl through Teletraan I shortly before an explosion sound struck and cut out.

"Prowl?" said Breakaway into Teletraan I "Prowl!? No!"

 _Meanwhile_

"We're almost out of here" said Melody quietly as she, Bobby, and Kate snuck through the stalagmites towards the cave's entrance.

"If you've got the Autobots' number, can't you just give them a call or something?" asked Bobby quietly.

"With all those Cons in here, it'd be best to call them once we're in the clear" replied Melody quietly.

"More robots coming" said Kate quietly "Good ones or bad ones?" Melody looked out and saw Bumblebee and Arcee approaching them.

"Good ones" said Melody whilst stepping out.

"Melody, wait!" said Bobby.

"Hey guys, great to know you're here" said Melody. Bumblebee and Arcee turned their hands into blasters and pointed them at her. "Guys?"

"Get back!" exclaimed Kate whilst pulling Melody back from the ensuring blast.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl woke up to find himself, Jazz, Bulkhead, Ironhide, and Wheeljack strapped to the wall.

"By the AllSpark!" said Prowl.

"I was hoping you would awake soon" said Mindwipe, who stood with his back turned to them "It was a surprise to see you, Autobot Prowl, along with Jazz; two of Optimus Prime's closest allies at the same place seemed like a bonus

"Mindwipe!" said Prowl "What are you doing here?"

"This war is about energon" replied Mindwipe "Whoever has the most gains power, and I was fortunate enough to happen upon a rich deposit recently; but I could not extract it myself. But with my powers, the answer was simple"

"So you used hypnotized Spittor and used him to lure victims back here to assimilate" said Prowl.

"Correct" said Mindwipe.

"I can understand Vehicons, but why Humans?" asked Prowl.

"Starscream gets paranoid if everything isn't in line, so I made sure to only pick them one by one" replied Mindwipe "But my patience was already wearing thin, so I turned to Humans as an alternative"

"You won't get away with this, Mindwipe" said Prowl.

"I already have" said Mindwipe as he walked over to Prowl "And now you've simply handed yourself over to me" Beneath his visor lens, Prowl closed his optics. "You can't hold out forever, Autobot" He placed both his hands on the sides of Prowl's head. "Sooner or later; you, along with the others, will be all mine!" He licked the side of Prowl's head. Suddenly, and energy blast flew towards him which he dodged.

"Breakaway!" said Prowl as he looked up to see Breakaway standing there.

"Kill them all!" snarled Mindwipe whilst pointing at the Autobots. The Vehicons and Humans stopped what they were doing and charged at the Autobots as Mindwipe slipped off into the shadows.

"Try to avoid the Humans, only get the Vehicons" said Prowl whilst turning his hand into a blaster. Breakaway ran past the Humans and Vehicons towards the shadows where Mindwipe had disappeared to. "Breakaway, where are you going?"

"I…I just can't let him get away again" said Breakaway "Especially with how powerful he's become"

"Remember, don't make eye contact" said Prowl. Breakaway nodded, transformed, and flew off into the shadows. As Bulkhead battled his way past Vehicons, he heard some shooting coming from the entrance area.

"That doesn't sound good" said Bulkhead. He ran off in the direction of the shooting.

"Bulkhead, where're you going?" asked Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway transformed and landed in an area filled with energon drillers. He looked around and found no sight of Mindwipe.

"I remember you…" said Mindwipe "The survivor of Praxus…I made you destroy that city, didn't I? Funny; once again, you are at my mercy…" Suddenly, Mindwipe leapt down, his hands having turned into blasters, and began shooting at Breakaway before slashing his claws at him. Breakaway blocked the claws with his hands and desperately closed his eyes. "You cannot keep them closed forever!"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee fired at Melody, Bobby, and Kate, who remained hidden behind a group of stalagmites.

"These stalagmites aren't going to last for long" said Kate.

"How are we supposed to get out of here?" said Bobby "If we make a dash for the exit, they'll shoot us down. I thought these two were your friends"

"They are" replied Melody "They're just…okay; I don't know what exactly is happening, but they're not their usual selves" At that moment, Bulkhead snuck up behind them, only for the two of them to turn around and blast at him.

"Eh, should've known better!" said Bulkhead. Bumblebee and Arcee ran up to him and began punching and kicking him violently. "Bumblebee, Arcee; snap out of it!" Bumblebee and Arcee didn't reply. "Thought not; listen, if either of you can hear me…" His hands turned into maces behind his back. "…sorry!" He wacked the two of them out simultaneously.

"Good guy?" asked Kate.

"Good guy" replied Melody

"Phew; that could've been a whole lot worse" said Bulkhead to himself. Suddenly, Spittor leapt onto his back. "Me and my big mouth!" Spittor bit into his shoulder. "AHHH!" Melody saw a rock lying beside her, picked it up, and threw it at Spittor the moment Bulkhead turned to their side.

"Hey you!" yelled Melody. As soon as Spittor saw her, he leapt off of Bulkhead's back, bounded towards her, and shot out his tongue at her. As the tongue rocketed towards her, Bulkhead grabbed ahold of it.

"Let me go, let me go!" said Spittor as he tried to wriggle free.

"Don't talk with your mouth full!" said Bulkhead. He pulled Spittor outside where he spun him around at high speeds until he let go and allowed the Decepticon to fly away into the distance. "So long, Spittor!"

 _Meanwhile_

Mindwipe slammed Breakaway onto the top of an energon driller before leaping up to the top of it.

"I admire your persistence; but you're no Alpha Trion, you can't hold out forever" said Mindwipe as he rose up his claws "But if you won't open your optics, then I'll have to rip your lids out!" Breakaway peered to the side and saw that he was right on top of the energon driller's controls. As Mindwipe threw down his claws, Breakaway quickly rolled to the side, causing the Decepticon to slam his claws into the controls and become electrocuted. As Mindwipe cried out in intense pain, a monstrous image with red eyes briefly flashed over him.

 _Meanwhile_

Suddenly, all of the Vehicons and Humans collapsed unconscious.

"What just happened?" asked Wheeljack.

"I think Breakaway just cut off the source" replied Jazz.

"Quickly, gather all the Humans up before they regain consciousness" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Mindwipe woozily got himself up.

"Funny how history repeats itself every once and a while" said Breakaway whilst keeping his distance.

"Except for one little thing, I will not be caged this time!" said Mindwipe. He transformed into a Cybertronian jet and zoomed off. Breakaway sighed.

"Almost got him" said Breakaway.

 _The next day_

"Did you tell your parents about what happened last night?" asked Kate as she and Bobby walked down the street.

"No" replied Bobby "Did you?"

"No" replied Kate "Besides; do you really think my mum would believe being abducted by robots as an excuse? I still can't believe Melody kept this from us the whole time"

"Maybe she is right" said Bobby "Maybe it's better if we stay out of this all together" At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee pulled up at the curb. Bumblebee wound down his window to reveal Melody who wore a pair of sunglasses.

"Hop in" said Melody.

"Seriously?" said Kate "I thought you told us to **not** get involved"

"That was before" said Melody whilst taking the sunglasses off "After what happened last night, you two have potentially become viable targets; which is why Optimus Prime wants to see you straight away"

"Optimus who?" said Bobby.

"He'll give you the precise details when we get there" replied Melody as Bumblebee opened his backdoor "In the meantime, let me tell you about the transformers"

 _Meanwhile_

As Spittor slowly ripped himself free of the tree that held him, he accidently took a misstep and tumbled down. As he reopened his optics, he found a pair of black metal feet standing in front of him. He looked up to see Crankcase standing in front of him. At his sides were Airachnid and Waspinator and behind them were Drag Strip and Breakdown.

"What do we have here?" said Crankcase.

 **Author's note #1** : Breakaway's backstory is inspired by G1 Bluestreak's backstory.

 **Author's note #2** : Just to let everyone know; I'm basing the original Primes off of their aligned counterpart but I've decided to have only twelve instead of thirteen for two reasons: 1# I feel that having Optimus as a member of the original Primes contradicts lore and 2# I think having twelve Primes mirrors the twelve Olympians of Mount Olympus.

 **Author's note #3** : I decided to give Alpha Trion a walking stick to give him a Yoda feel.

 **Author's note #4** : I know that this isn't really connected to this particular chapter, but Grimlock having no memory of his creation was inspired by other amnesic anti-heroes like Wolverine and Spawn.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Thanks for the reviews so far. I'll see how I'll be able to fit in a potential Arcee and Airachnid fight.

 **Martin** : I admit that I haven't really been on Transformers the Ride and I haven't any plans to reference it currently.


	16. Cold Dread

**Author's note** : Sorry about the delay; I've been sick recently and writing got harder because of it.

 _Unknown location_

As Drag Strip walked down the hallways, he stopped and hid out of sight when he noticed Airachnid talking to Scrapper.

"It's already been weeks and your progress has been minimal" said Airachnid.

"I wouldn't say minimal, but—" said Scrapper.

"But he's barely ready is what you told me" said Airachnid "It's time I have a look for myself" Scrapper led her to a door down the hallway and they entered it into the room where Megatron was being held, the door closing shut behind them.

"As you can see; whilst not fully-functional, we've made great advancements to his body physically?" said Scrapper "Unfortunately, despite repeated stimulations, we have not yet aroused his conscious"

"Are you certain he's not brain-dead?" asked Airachnid "I mean; with the situations that led him here, it would not be surprising if his mind didn't survive"

"Oh no, his brain is still working" replied Scrapper "We've detected his subconscious at work; he's merely in a coma if anything"

"And so he must remain until we've perfected his physical body" said Airachnid "It would be better if our leader was unaware of his **damaged** state. But make sure you double your efforts"

"You can't rush art" said Hightower.

"You can if there's a deadline and yours has just increased" said Airachnid "Now, if you'll excuse me" She turned to leave.

"I read your file in the Decepticon database" said Scrapper. Airachnid stopped in her tracks. "It claims that you left our side long ago and went off on your own. With all the concrete evidence I have found it really begs a question, why are you so interested in reviving our leader when you left our cause ages ago" Airachnid turned around.

"You're interested in knowing why I've set this all up?" asked Airachnid whilst raising her spider legs "You really want to know why I am doing this?" As she approached Scrapper in a threatening manor, Mixmaster hid behind Hightower in a cowardly manor. "Because it's the right thing to do, that's what!" She turned and left.

"That didn't seem very convincing" said Hightower.

"Of course it wasn't" said Scrapper "She's lying, and she takes us for granted thinking that we'll simply believe it" As Airachnid left, Drag Strip saw her coming and immediately ran off. Airachnid entered Flatline's laboratory, where Crankcase and Flatline stood at a computer screen.

"Do you have the information we need?" asked Airachnid.

"We have the numbers and we have the right information" said Crankcase.

"Good" said Airachnid "Ready the others; the time to strike has come"

 **Cold Dread**

 _Suburbs of Carson City_

As the school bell rang, Melody, Bobby, and Kate walked down the steps towards the sidewalk.

"Well, thus begins another week at school" said Melody.

"Yep, and it couldn't come any sooner" said Bobby sarcastically.

"C'mon guys, we're past halfway through the year already" said Kate "Things will start winding down soon enough" As they reached the sidewalk, they noticed Bumblebee and Arcee waiting for them at the sidewalk.

"Well, looks like our ride's here" said Melody "Who's up for a tour of the Autobot base?"

"Are you sure?" asked Bobby "I mean, Prowl didn't seem all that please with us when we were there"

"Yeah, but he's always like that" said Melody "Let's hop in" They walked over to Bumblebee's door. "Sorry, Arcee; looks like you'll have to make do with a hologram driver for now" The three of them sat in Bumblebee's backseat and he drove off with Arcee following him.

 _Meanwhile_

"Mindwipe's escape is perhaps the most distressing issue" said Optimus "If left to his own devices, he is perhaps one of the most dangerous Transformers to have ever lived"

"The fact that he's able to control multiple individuals at once makes him even more threatening" said Prowl "But we've got other matters at hand. Shortly after the incident; we located the area where Spittor landed after Bulkhead threw him, but we found it came to a dead end"

"And not the Decepticon" said Ironhide.

"So he escaped?" said Ratchet.

"That is certain" said Prowl "But since all signs of him have vanished, tracking him has gone back to square one. This isn't the first time a situation like this has happened" He typed into Teletraan I and brought up images of various Decepticons. "We checked the area where Drag Strip had supposedly fallen but found no body or anything; there wasn't even an imprint of impact. Breakdown was regularly causing havoc for the last few weeks, until he vanished without a trace and hasn't been seen since. And of course, Spittor's gone missing too"

"What are you implying?" asked Optimus.

"They aren't the only rogue Decepticons who have gone missing" said Prowl. He brought up images of Airachnid and Crankcase. "We haven't heard from Airachnid or Waspinator since you and Bumblebee encountered them. Same goes for Crankcase since his attempt to seize the Decepticon throne; the problem he seems to have access to experimental technology, which just makes him an even greater threat"

"Well, at least t we don't have to worry about them" said Ironhide.

"That's not an advantage" said Prowl "Since we haven't heard from them since, it fair to assume that they're up to something. Drag Strip, Breakdown, and Spittor are not exactly "masterminds" per say, but Airachnid and Crankcase are; and their absence implies that they're holding back and waiting for the right time to attack"

"And what has this got to do with the first three?" asked Ironhide.

"Because every mastermind needs minions to do their work" replied Prowl "I don't know whether the two of them are planning individually or are partnered together, but we need to be prepared for whatever comes next"

"Your theory is noted, Prowl" said Optimus "We should explore it further when we find more evidence" At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee drove in, stopped to let Melody, Bobby, and Kate got out, and transformed.

"Woah, I don't think I've gone this long with a hologram drive in sometime" said Arcee "Everything just seems so light"

"I don't think I've had no one in the front seats in a long time" said Bumblebee.

"Sorry, guys; but I've had a lot to tell them and it's easier to that when we're all in the back seat together" said Melody.

"I'm still not sure on this" said Prowl "One civilian is one thing, but three of them? This is just getting out of hand"

"It's necessary, Prowl" said Optimus "Any Human whom the Decepticons view as our allies have to be protected no matter what"

"I just hope it doesn't become too much of a liability" said Prowl "I'm not sure how many more Humans we can individually protect before it all becomes public"

"Me too" said Ratchet.

"So, who's up for a tour?" asked Melody.

"It'll be my honor to show you all around" said Arcee.

"Actually, I was thinking of showing them around myself" said Melody.

"Really?" said Arcee "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"You already gave me your tour and I've been around the base long enough to memorize the locations you told me about" said Melody "Thanks for volunteering anyway. This way, guys" Bobby and Kate followed her down the corridors up ahead.

"Do you miss it when it was just Melody?" asked Arcee.

"It just feels like everything's just changed so fast" said Bumblebee.

"Welcome to our world" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile_

"And here are their quarters" said Melody.

"Robots have quarters?" said Bobby "Do they recharge in their or something?"

"No, they sleep" replied Melody "Think of them more so as sentient robots than just regular robots" A loud humming came from one of the quarters.

"What's in there?" asked Kate.

"Oh, that's just Wheeljack's workshop" said Melody "He's in there all day making invention after invention. Usually they don't actually work, and when they do—" Suddenly, the door to the workshop blew open with a powerful explosion. Three flying metal cubes flew out and began firing blue lasers at them.

"Run!" said Bobby. They turned to run, only for another cube to fly in front of them and block them off.

"You know, it's not usually this bad" said Melody as the cube began to charge up its laser.

"NO!" exclaimed a voice. Wheeljack leapt onto the cube and pulled it to the ground, but it struggled and tried to fly away. "Don't shoot! Not Decepticons! NOT DECEPTICONS!" He pressed a pad from behind the cube and it shut off. He then rolled over and quickly turned off the other three. "Sorry about that, they just need a little readjustment"

"Another invention gone wrong?" asked Melody.

"Sort of" replied Wheeljack.

"So what are these things supposed to be?" asked Kate whilst looking down at the cubes.

"I call them sentry cubes" replied Wheeljack "I designed them to keep Decepticons occupied during combat; unfortunately, they're still not ready"

"So what's the problem exactly?" asked Kate.

"The problem is that I've had a little trouble with the programming" replied Wheeljack "So far all I've been able to do is make them recognize Autobots as non-hostiles, whilst everything else is considered hostile"

"Bummer" said Melody.

"I'm not going to take them out onto the field just yet" said Wheeljack "They'd probably be too busy going after a flock of birds to take on a squad of Cons"

"So what else do you have in there?" asked Kate.

"Well, let me show you" said Wheeljack. He stepped aside in a welcoming manor. "Come on in, I'll give you the guided tour" Melody, Bobby, and Kate stepped into the workshop. "Sorry for it being a bit of a mess at the moment, I just get carried away and things fall out of place" Bobby noticed a strange box that was glowing green.

"What is that thing?" asked Bobby.

"Oh, don't touch that!" said Wheeljack as he swooped in and picked up the object.

"So what is it?" asked Bobby.

"Honestly, I'm not sure" replied Wheeljack "I found it around the _Ark_ shortly a few days after we crashed. I'm not sure what it is or where it came from, but I think it could be lethal to Humans so it's better to stay away from it for now"

"Okay, I guess that makes sense" said Bobby.

"To be perfectly honest, it's probably lethal to Cybertronians since I don't know what it is" said Wheeljack "And with that in mind, I should put it back where I had it before" He placed it back on the shelf where it originally was. Kate looked up at his workbench and noticed one of the sentry cubes that was plugged into a computer device.

"Can I have a look at that?" asked Kate.

"No problem" replied Wheeljack. He lifted her up onto the workbench and she walked over to the computer device and noticed the various Cybertronian numerals on the screen.

"So this is what you use to program them?" said Kate.

"At least what I try to use to program them" replied Wheeljack "Even after all this time, I still haven't fully mastered. It's like no matter how thorough you are at it, there's always just one thing that you left out; and it's always that one thing that's entirely crucial to it's workings. Are you into programming?"

"A little" said Kate "Which is why I'm wondering if I could have a go at this"

"You think you could program Cybertronian technology?" asked Melody.

"I could give it a try" said Kate "I just need access to your written language and a translation to English and I'm sure I could give it a go"

"You ought to talk to Ratchet about it" said Wheeljack "He knows more about programming than I do"

"Then why don't you just let him do the programming for you?" asked Bobby.

"I feel bad about asking him for favors" said Wheeljack "I mean; he's slaving enough already with opening and closing those ground bridges day after day and making sure Teletraan's in top shape. It would just be too much to ask as it is"

 _Later_

Bumblebee turned up at Melody's house and she got out.

"Thanks for the lift, Bee" said Melody.

"Anytime" said Bumblebee. Melody turned to leave.

"Oh, and don't forget to tell Bee our addresses so he can drop you off too" said Melody.

"Got it" said Bobby.

"Got it" said Kate. Bumblebee closed the door and drove off. As Melody walked in through the front door she looked down at her watch and noticed that it was almost 8 o'clock.

"Shoot, way past curfew!" said Melody quietly to herself "I didn't know we were in that late. Oh well; maybe if I get upstairs in time—"

"Melody, is that you?" called out a voice.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Melody quietly "Coming Mom!" She ran into the kitchen where her mother (Heather Keen) was preparing a cake. "Nice cake; it's for work, right?"

"Don't try to dodge anything, young lady" said Heather "Where have you been all night? I've been worried sick. I've left you messages and even called you a few times; why haven't you answered me?"

"Oh, I must have turned my phone off or something and missed them" said Melody.

"Why would you turn your phone off?" asked Heather.

"I keep it off a lot of the time to save power" replied Melody "But I always turn it back on, I swear; I must have just forgotten this time"

"Where have you been all night?" asked Heather.

"I was just out hanging with some friends" replied Melody.

"Which friends would these be?" asked Heather.

"Bobby Parker and Kate Kelly" replied Melody "They're good people, remember? You don't have to worry"

"What were you doing?" asked Heather. Melody sighed.

"You're really inquisitive, aren't you?" said Melody "We were just having a walk around town" Heather turned to the phone and pulled it up to her ear. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling Bobby and Kate's parents" replied Heather.

"What, no!" exclaimed Melody "Mom, you don't have to do this!? Look; I know I screwed up, okay. I promise not to do it again"

"Melody, I'm just thinking of your safety" said Heather "Unusual things have been happening around here recently and I want to make sure you're safe"

"Mom, I appreciate the concern; but I'm not a little girl anymore, I'm 16 years old" said Melody "I can take care of myself"

"I know, and you're growing up to be a fine young lady" said Heather "Listen; I want to give you as much independence as you need at the moment, but I can't help but worry about you when you do something unpredictable. Just promise me you'll get yourself to home safely by curfew each day"

"I promise" said Melody.

"I'll hold you to it" said Heather "If you hold it up, I'll have to shorten your curfew. Is that understood?"

"Clear as crystals" replied Melody.

"Now have a shower and get yourself off to bed" said Heather "After the outing you've had, you'll need a good early night to prepare yourself for tomorrow"

"Got it" said Melody. She turned and bolted out of the kitchen.

 _Later_

At the top of the hill overlooking Melody's house, Crankcase and Airachnid watched as the light to Melody's room turned off.

"Human allies, the Autobots have become sloppy" said Airachnid "They just made it easier to learn of their location. It doesn't matter how many they've got protecting her, it won't be enough to hear her scream…" She extended out her multiple legs. "…as I peel back the layers of her brain!" She moved forward, only for Crankcase to grab her by one of the legs to stop her. "What are you doing?"

"No, not the Humans" said Crankcase.

"Why?!" snapped Airachnid.

"This is between me and the Autobots, not them" replied Crankcase.

"But she is the Autobots ally!" snapped Airachnid.

"An ally perhaps" said Crankcase "But until her species as a whole makes a move against me, they should be considered neutral in this situation. This war is between the Autobots and Decepticons only"

"Do you want to find the Autobots' base?!" snapped Airachnid.

"Yes, but I prefer to avoid this way if at all possible" replied Crankcase.

"What kind of ruler do you plan to be if you don't even take advantage of the enemies' loose ends?" said Airachnid "What makes you think you could fill Megatron's shoes?" Crankcase tightened his grip on Airachnid's leg.

"Only I and I alone can decide who I'm supposed to be" said Crankcase. Airachnid scratched.

"Take us back to base, I have something to show you" said Airachnid. Crankcase brought up a ground bridge and walked through it to Flatline's lab, still holding Airachnid and only letting go after the portal closed.

"You could have let me go before we walked in" said Airachnid "If I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't trust me at all"

"And why should I have reason to trust you?" said Crankcase "I know your record, I know the atrocities you committed during the war"

"I thought our mutual partnership would at least be some form of trust" said Airachnid. Crankcase grabbed her by the spider leg again.

"Our partnership is a mutual agreement in which I agree to work with you" said Crankcase "Never for you!" Airachnid smirked evilly.

"I understand fully, of course" said Airachnid "Now will you allow me to show you something" Crankcase let her go and she walked over to a large metal basin. "Come hither" Crankcase walked over to her.

"What is this?" asked Crankcase.

"You'll see" replied Airachnid "Now give me your hand" Crankcase didn't comply. "Give me your hand" Crankcase extended his hand out slowly. Airachnid grabbed his wrist, got out a metal dagger, and cut into his palm slowly before sprinkling the drops of energon into the basin. She then got out various minerals and liquids from the sides and poured them in on top.

"What is this supposed to do?" asked Crankcase.

"During my travels across the universe, I have discovered many ancient and powerful techniques; including ones some would consider controversial. In this one; using a sample of one's energon and combining it with assorted materials will gain the power to show one's future"

"It sounds like nothing more than myth" said Crankcase.

"All myths have some real life connection" said Airachnid. She got out a match, lit it, and threw it into the basin, igniting a large purple fire which licked out of the basin. Airachnid held grabbed Crankcase's shoulders and positioned him to look into the fire. "Look into the flames; tell me what you see?" Crankcase stared intently into the wild flames.

"I see myself" replied Crankcase.

"What are you doing?" asked Airachnid.

"I am sitting on the Decepticon throne" replied Crankcase "The bodies of Prime and Starscream lay at my feet. Every Decepticon is bowing to me"

"Good" said Airachnid "Good. You are destined to sit upon that throne, and I am here to lead you there. But you cannot achieve a destiny without fighting for it, by any means necessary"

"I am the leader of this team" said Crankcase "And while that is so, we'll do things my way. We'll take the base tomorrow, and the way I choose to"

"But we cannot unless we find it first" said Airachnid "Getting into the base without finding its location is impossible"

"No, it's not" said Crankcase.

 _The next day_

Bumblebee drove out of the _Ark_.

"I'm off to collect Melody and her friends, Optimus" said Bumblebee into his comlink "I'll be right back"

"Understood, Bumblebee" said Optimus out of his comlink "Bulkhead, Jazz, and I are currently on patrol around the area and she converged with you on your way back to base"

"Good to know I'll have some company" said Bumblebee. At that moment, Arcee drove up to him. "And it looks like that's sooner than expected. What are you doing here, Arcee"

"Just…coming with you is all" replied Arcee.

"Oh…okay" said Bumblebee "Any reason wh—"

"Is this because you can carry all three of them?" asked Arcee. There was a short silence.

"Yes, actually" replied Bumblebee.

"So you want to know why I'm coming with you, ha'?" said Arcee "Then let me tell you why"

 _Meanwhile_

"So anyway; me and Springer were able to double back to Iacon with the Con still on our tails" said Bulkhead into his comlink as he drove along the road "He was really into it and thought he had us for sure, until the other Wreckers came out from the walls of Iacon and opened fire upon him to reduce him to scrap! Bam, we had him!"

"Sounds quite a caper" said Bumblebee through his comlink "Remember to tell me more stories sometime"

"Yeah, Springer and I used to go on a lot of adventures" said Bulkhead.

"Well, Arcee and I are just going to pick Melody and the others up" replied Bumblebee "Of course; Arcee's not really needed, but she likes to tag along anyway"

"Well, good luck with that" said Bulkhead "See you back at the base once I'm done patrolling"

"Yeah, see ya'" said Bumblebee. Above Bulkhead, Waspinator quietly flew and watched him carefully.

"Waspinator see Big Green Bot" said Waspinator into his comlink "Big Green Bot driving on road underneath Waspinator"

"We have your position" said Airachnid out of his comlink "We'll be there shortly. Wait for us, and remember not to alert him"

"Yes, mistress!" replied Waspinator. As Bulkhead drove along the road, he heard a loud revving of an engine coming from behind.

"Well, sounds like someone's trying to get over the speed limit" said Bulkhead. At that moment, Drag Strip drove up beside him and bashed into him. "What the—" Suddenly, Crankcase drove up to him from the other side and bashed into him. "Watch it, you two!" Suddenly, he felt a powerful force forward from behind him as Breakdown (in the form of a blue Chevrolet Express armored truck) drove up and bashed him. Suddenly, Spittor appeared in the middle of a road in his walker form. Bulkhead skidded to a stop and was caught up in Spittor's tentacles. Crankcase, Drag Strip, and Breakdown transformed. Bulkhead transformed in an attempt to escape, to no real effect. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Payback, that's what" replied Spittor.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove down to the suburbs of Carson City.

"I mean; I know I'm not important anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't come anyway, right?" said Arcee.

"You're still important, Arcee" said Bumblebee.

"We were meant to guard Melody together" said Arcee.

"And we still do" said Bumblebee.

"Except she won't ride on me anymore because she's too busy chatting to her other friends" said Arcee "We were here first"

"No, we weren't" said Bumblebee.

"What do you mean?" asked Arcee.

"Melody's friends have been with her long before we even met her" replied Bumblebee "She's wanted to tell them for ages and never got the opportunity to until now, but she knew all the risks it would take. But I get what you're saying; ever since they came into the picture, we just seemed minored in comparison"

"It's just…I miss it when it was just us three" said Arcee "Everything's suddenly changed now and there's no going back"

"I miss those times too" said Bumblebee "It felt good being the center of attention. But we can't dwell on the past forever; let us not forget, everything was different before Melody came in"

"I'm still not sure on what to do?" said Arcee.

"If this is really upsetting you, then you could just talk to her about it to get it off your chest" said Bumblebee "If you talk it over with her, I'm sure she'll understand"

"I guess you're right" said Arcee "I don't know what came over me; I guess I was just shocked. I'll try to talk to her about it when I get the chance. Thanks, Bee"

"You were there for me long ago" said Bumblebee "I owe you big time"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bulkhead slowly regained consciousness, he found himself ensnared by Spittor's tentacles and he tried to squirm free.

"There's no point struggling, it won't get you free" said Crankcase as he walked up to Bulkhead. Airachnid, Waspinator, Drag Strip, and Bulkhead appeared behind him.

"What do you want?" asked Bulkhead.

"I merely wish to have access to the Autobot base and you're going to give me it" replied Crankcase.

"Oh yeah?" said Bulkhead "I won't give you anything!"

"There's no point asking" said Airachnid "It would be much easier to rip it out of him"

"There's no need for that" said Crankcase. He pulled out a collar-like device and strapped it onto Bulkhead's neck. Bulkhead attempted to speak but found that he couldn't move his lips. "A little invention which Flatline came up with; it prevents speech but can tap into your voice to say whatever I requested. And I've studied long enough to know exactly what you'd say to get a ground bridge" He placed his finger on Bulkhead's comlink.

"Ratchet, I need a ground bridge" said the collar with Bulkhead's voice.

"On its way" said Ratchet through Bulkhead's comlink.

"I still think it would have been more efficient to get the answer from someone" said Airachnid.

"My way is much more direct" replied Crankcase. At that moment, a ground bridge appeared in front of them. "Bring the Autobot with us" Breakdown walked over to Bulkhead and knocked him out.

"That felt incredibly satisfying" said Breakdown. The six of them walked through into the _Ark_.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Ratchet "How did you get here?"

"You brought us in, that's how" said Crankcase "Surrender your base and you may all live through this"

"I ain't givin' up just because some wannabe warlord says so!" snapped Ironhide "Eat laser bolts!" He, Prowl, and Breakaway opened fire upon the Decepticons, but they fired back. Wheeljack was walking through the hallway when he heard shooting. He peered out to see the ensuring battle outside.

"Oh slag it!" exclaimed Wheeljack under his breath. He ran off back down the hallway. Crankcase kneeled low and shot a dart into Ratchet, rendering him immediately unconscious.

"Ratchet!" exclaimed Ironhide shortly before being shot with a dart as well. Breakaway transformed and fired at them wildly but Crankcase shot him with a dart and caused him to crash into a wall. Crankcase and the others then surrounded Prowl.

"You're outnumbered, Autobot" said Crankcase "There is no point in resisting" Prowl looked down at the unconscious Autobots. "Don't worry; they're not dead, merely paralyzed. But you will be too if you don't comply. Surrender now" There was a short silence.

"Teletraan, lock the ship down!" yelled Prowl "Passcode: Alpha!"

" _Acknowledged"_

Crankcase shot several darts at Prowl, who dodged to the side but got hit by several nonetheless. Suddenly, a thick metal door slid down over all entrances and exits to the bridge.

"That was too slow" said Airachnid "He was able lockdown the base" Breakdown walked up to the entrance, retracted out a rocket launcher from his shoulder, and fired a rocket at the entrance to no effect.

"I guess that means we can't get out" said Breakdown.

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Drag Strip "That blasted computer caused this; let's just blast it and open these doors up" He turned his hands into blasters and fired at Teletraan I, only for the blaster bolts to deflect off the force shield that protected it.

"It appears that the program was intended to keep any intruders off of Teletraan as well" said Crankcase "You three, round up the Autobots and watch over them"

"Can't we just destroy them?" said Spittor.

"In due time; but for now, we need them as hostages" said Crankcase "Like it or not, they're more valuable to us alive" Drag Strip, Breakdown, and Spittor started dragging the unconscious Autobots over to a corner.

"We could've avoided this had we simply learned of the location itself" said Airachnid "Now you've trapped us"

"Not so" said Crankcase "Optimus Prime was not present here, no doubt he and the others are still Autobots out on patrol and at least one of them would know the authorization codes. When they realize that they're locked out and cannot call a way in, they'll use the code to open the base up"

"And what if they figure out our presence before they enter?" asked Airachnid.

"That's what the hostages are for" replied Crankcase.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove up to the curb of the school where Melody, Bobby, and Kate waited for them.

"Right on time, as always" said Melody. She walked over to Bumblebee, but Arcee revved her engine to get her attention. "What was that for?"

"I was just thinking we could take this one" said Arcee "You know, like old times"

"Sounds great, Arcee; but I'd like to talk to my friends on the way—" said Melody.

"I'd really appreciate it if you did" said Arcee.

"Oh…okay then" said Melody.

"It's okay, we'll be fine" said Bobby. He and Kate got into Bumblebee's backseat whilst Melody hoped onto Arcee and put her helmet on.

"Is there a particular reason why you wanted me to ride you this time?" asked Melody as Arcee and Bumblebee drove off down the road.

"There's just something I want to get off my chest, is all" replied Arcee "I've just been a little…upset recently"

"Why?" asked Melody.

"It just seems so different now" said Arcee.

"You mean with Bobby and Kate involved?" asked Melody.

"Yeah" replied Arcee "I know that you guys have a lot of catching up to do, but you seem to spending less time with the rest of us since they learnt about the secret"

"They're my friends, Arcee; and you and Bee are too" said Melody "I've barely been able to catch up with them recently and I've had to lie to them; but now I don't have to anymore since they know about all of this, I guess I just got carried away. I'm sorry if I haven't been involved enough with you guys"

"I understand" said Arcee "I'm just mentioning that we should balance everything out more"

"Now that I can definitely agree on" said Melody "Bee convinced you to talk to me, right?"

"Yeah, actually" replied Arcee "How did you know?"

"No reason" smirked Melody. As they drove further down the road, Optimus and Jazz approached them.

"Back from patrol, I see?" said Bumblebee.

"You bet" said Jazz "Down my work for the day and now onward back to the _Ark_ " As they drove up to the mountain, the doors wouldn't open when they approached them.

"Woah!" exclaimed Bumblebee as he and the others skidded to a stop. Optimus transformed and examined the entrance.

"What's wrong?" asked Arcee.

"The entrance has been closed off due to a lockdown protocol" said Optimus "We cannot get through without the right code to counteract it"

"Well, good thing we know the code then" said Jazz as he transformed.

"It would be better if we do not use it just yet" said Optimus "The protocol was activated for a reason; the _Ark_ has been compromised, presumably by the Decepticons"

"And going in would be darn well suicide" said Jazz "Bummer"

"We can't just do nothing" said Bumblebee "The others need our help"

"I never said that" said Optimus.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Melody.

"Firstly; Bumblebee, Arcee, take Melody, Bobby, and Kate home" said Optimus "Come back here immediately after doing so"

"But we can help you with this" said Melody.

"I do not doubt your spirits, but this situation is too dangerous" said Optimus "We need to make sure that you're out of harm's way"

"We'll do that, Optimus" said Bumblebee. He and Arcee turned around and drove off.

"Do you have anything of use on you, Jazz?" asked Optimus.

"Well, I do occasionally carry these smoke pellets around just in case we need a quick escape" replied Jazz whilst pulling some smoke pellets from his waist "Not very weapon like, but they can blind the enemy. Say, you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"I think so, Jazz" said Optimus.

 _Later_

Breakdown walked over to the Autobots, who had now regained consciousness and were being held by Airachnid's silk.

"The moment we've got the others, you're all going to die" said Breakdown "And I've got dibs on you, Bulky"

"You just won't let it go, will you?" said Bulkhead.

"After what you and that other green boy did to me back on Cybertron; no, not at all" said Breakdown.

"What did happen back on Cybertron?" asked Breakaway.

"No!" said Breakdown

"You want to know, Breakaway?" said Bulkhead "I'll tell you"

"Don't even think about it, Bulkhead!" snapped Breakdown "If you say so much as a word, then you're dead!"

"He was riding triumphantly on a dropship when Springer and I blew it down" said Bulkhead.

"Why you!" snarled Breakdown as he turned his hand into his hammer and raised it high.

"No!" snapped Crankcase.

"What's the point in keeping them alive?" said Breakdown "We're just going to kill them anyway"

"Optimus is a bold fighter and won't give up easily" said Crankcase "But he won't risk the lives of his fellow Autobots, which is why keeping them alive is important. We're keeping them alive long enough to make him surrender"

" _Accepted_

 _Lockdown deactivated"_

"They're coming" said Crankcase "Everyone, ready yourselves" He and the others walked over to the door and pointed their weapons at it when Optimus, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Arcee entered. "A bit less hostile than I had expected"

"Crankcase, so you're who's responsible" said Optimus

"And it looks like you've brought company" said Jazz.

"Calls us the Dreads" said Crankcase "We do not follow Starscream, only our own path"

"How did you get in here?" asked Optimus

"You're ground bridge, of course" replied Crankcase "You're medic was so foolish as to let us in simply by the sound of an Autobot's voice" A stern look appeared on Ratchet's face. "But enough of the questions; as you can see, your fellow Autobots are at our mercy. If you make one move against us, I'll make sure they pay the consequences. Just to be clear; this isn't surrender or die, this is surrender or they'll die. Your move"

"You really think you've gotten all of this covered, don't you?" said Arcee.

"Waspinator pick you first!" said Waspinator.

"No; leave this one for me" said Airachnid. Arcee turned her head over to her. "Remember me, Arcee?"

"You!" exclaimed Arcee.

"Yes, that's right; let the memories flow back" said Airachnid "And make sure you savior every single one of them. Especially…certain ones" Arcee clenched her teeth.

"Arcee?" said Bumblebee.

"But if you're in the mood for it…come and get some!" said Airachnid. Arcee ran up to her but she transformed into her spider mode and crawled off down a hallway with Arcee following her.

"No!" exclaimed Bumblebee whilst stepping forward to go after Arcee, only to get stopped by Optimus.

"Bumblebee, stop" said Optimus.

"Optimus, we both know what she's capable of" said Bumblebee "We can't just let Arcee—"

"I know, Bumblebee" said Optimus "But we cannot make rash moves like this"

"Smart choice, Prime" said Crankcase "But you still haven't offered me an answer yet"

"I have already made my choice" said Optimus "As long as I live, you will not hurt any Autobot; but neither will I surrender"

"If that's how it's going to be, then fine" said Crankcase "You just made the decision that will destroy all of you"

"No, I didn't" replied Optimus "Jazz, now!" Jazz dropped the various smoke pellets onto the ground and the room was soon clouded with smoke. "Jazz, Bumblebee; keep me covered"

"Can do" said Jazz "Teletraan, Passcode: Silver"

" _Activated"_

Teletraan I began playing _Wham Bam_ , which's volume proved to be an annoyance to the Decepticons.

"What the heck is this noise?!" exclaimed Drag Strip.

"The Humans call it music" said Jazz. He began beating up the Decepticons, using the smoke as cover. "Wham! Bam! Shang-A-Lang!" Optimus lunged over to the other Autobots and used his blade to rip them free.

"Quite a good plan actually" said Prowl.

"And you made it all possible" said Optimus. Suddenly, Crankcase kicked forward and knocked Optimus off his feet.

"If I can't beat all of you, I may as well take you out, Prime" said Crankcase.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee ran down the hallway after Airachnid until finally stopping in the middle of it.

"You still hold grudges, even after all of these years?" said Airachnid.

"After what you did, I'm not forgiving you that easily" said Arcee "I swore never to let what happened in my way ever again"

"And yet you disobeyed Optimus Prime's orders" said Airachnid.

"Because I can't let you hurt anyone else ever again" said Arcee. Suddenly, a large chunk of silk shot out and stuck her to the wall. Airachnid slinked down from the ceiling and slowly walked up to her.

"Then you'll be disappointed" said Airachnid whilst holding Arcee's head against the wall with her hand.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee battled his way through the smoke, he eventually reached the door to the hallway where Arcee had gone down.

"Hang on, Arcee; I'm coming for you" said Bumblebee. He ran into the hallway. Crankcase struck various hits and kicks against Optimus violently and with great precision.

"There is no need for us to fight, Crankcase" said Optimus "If you truly want to bring a new age for the Decepticons, stop now and walk away from Megatron's path"

"I walk my own path" said Crankcase "Do you think just because I'm against Starscream means that I'm automatically makes us allies? That's a naïve view"

"It's a hopeful view" said Optimus "But one that may be too late" He retracted out his blades and struck forward at Crankcase; but just as the Decepticon was about to hit the ground, he turned the fall into a slide and leapt up onto Ratchet from behind with his blaster pointed at his head.

"You're right, that view is naïve" said Crankcase "Now; if you want to keep your medic, you will surrender now" Suddenly, Ratchet retracted out a pair of battle blades and slashed Crankcase in the stomach. "AHHH!" Crankcase stepped back to the other Decepticons whilst holding his stomach in pain.

"Word of advice, this medic still knows how to fight!" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile_

The Autobots surrounded Crankcase and the Decepticons. Crankcase extended his wrist out at them.

"Try it" said Ironhide "I doubt you could nail us all at once"

"Surrender, Crankcase; I don't want any more energon spilled" said Optimus.

"That we can both agree on" said Crankcase. He extended his wrist to the center behind himself and generated a ground bridge. "We'll just have to pill some more next time!" He and the other Decepticons fell back into the ground bridge and it vanished.

 _Meanwhile_

"What do you want, Airachnid?" said Arcee "To kill me. Well, what are you waiting for; you've just found yourself a great opportunity"

"Oh; I'm going to kill you alright, but I'm going to make you suffer first" said Airachnid "Just to make the death every…bit…more…painful!"

"You're all about that, aren't you?" said Arcee.

"There's no point in simply killing my prey" said Airachnid "I need to show them my dominance, even if it means ripping everything about them apart! Now, tell me which parts to pull"

"Is that really your first question?" said Arcee.

"We all have to start somewhere" smirked Airachnid.

"Let her go, Airachnid!" said a voice. Airachnid turned her head to see Bumblebee standing in the hallway.

"Hello Bug" said Airachnid "Fancy meeting you here"

"I said "let her go"!" said Bumblebee whilst turning his hand into his blaster "You won't touch her again!"

"I have to admit, you're quite cute when you try to be intimidating" smirked Airachnid.

"Bee, get out of here!" said Arcee "You don't know what she's capable of!"

"I know" said Bumblebee.

"No, you don't!" said Arcee "Go get the others and come back, don't take her by yourself!"

"You…care for this one?" said Airachnid "Ah; of course!" Airachnid leapt off from the wall and landed in front of Bumblebee. "I never knew in all these years you would choose this Bug to be your replacement partner! It seems you are worth the sport after all!" She struck forward towards Bumblebee and knocked him off his feet.

"Bee!" exclaimed Arcee.

"This is too easy!" smirked Airachnid. She struck her leg down towards Bumblebee, who rolled to the side. Bumblebee began shooting at her, but she swerved to the side continuously until she grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "Mutilating you just got all the more fun!" She raised her clawed fingers to rip off his face when she was suddenly blasted back by several blaster bolts. Wheeljack stepped forward with an electric spear in hand and his sentry cubes floating around him.

"Please tell me that there aren't any Humans nearby" said Wheeljack.

"None as such" said Bumblebee.

"Sentry cubes, give her all you've got!" said Wheeljack. The sentry cubes continuously fired at Airachnid and sent her into a corner where Wheeljack successfully stunned her with his electric spear. "I'd better take her off to a cell" He grabbed her by the spider legs and started dragging her off back to the bridge. "Sentry cubes, keep a good aim on her"

"I thought the cells were the other way" said Bumblebee as he got himself up.

"Yeah, but I'll need some help in case she wakes up" said Wheeljack. He disappeared down the hallway. Bumblebee ran up to Arcee and let her down from the silk.

"Arcee, are you okay?" asked Bumblebee.

"Bee, don't do that again" said Arcee.

"What, why?" asked Bumblebee.

"When I tell you that you should run from something, you should run" replied Arcee "You almost got yourself killed"

"I know, but…I just couldn't let her hurt you" said Bumblebee "We're partners, remember; and I won't let anything happen to you"

"I can't let anything happen to you either; especially if it comes from my past, not yours" said Arcee "Just promise me you won't risk yourself like that again if I beg you not to, underst—" Before she could even finish her sentence, Bumblebee brought his lips to hers and kissed passionately. She at first was stunned by it but soon closed her optics and embraced it.

 _Meanwhile_

"Dreadbot left mistress behind!" snarled Waspinator.

"Your mistress would rather go chasing after individual Autobots rather than help the rest of us" said Crankcase "She got herself captured; so unless we're able to get into the base again, there will no rescue"

"But what if they interrogate her?" asked Flatline "We can't risk any of our secrets falling into—"

"She won't break, that's one think I can be sure of" said Crankcase "And she won't risk destroying everything she has built just to get back at us" On the other side of the door, Scrapper and Hightower eavesdropped on the arguments.

"There still arguing" said Scrapper as he and Hightower turned to walk back to Megatron's room.

"Do you really think Airachnid is gone?" asked Hightower.

"As shocking as it is, there is no reason for Crankcase or the others to lie" replied Scrapper.

"So if she's not in the picture anymore, do you think we should tell Crankcase abou—" asked Hightower.

"No!" said Scrapper as he and Hightower entered Megatron's chamber "It would be better if he did not know of Megatron's presence. For the time being, we'll continue to keep it under wraps. And with that in mind, has there been any change in his condition?"

"As before; only physically, I'm afraid" replied Hightower "His mind is still not functionally properly despite all of our attempts to wake him up"

"It's a pity" said Scrapper "To think, after all of these years of him engaging in combat, he would end up like this; barely alive on life support with barely any brain activity"

"We're Constructicons, not Neurologicalcons" said Hightower.

"Starscream will get us all killed one day, even if we don't follow him" said Scrapper "And if history taught us anything, Optimus Prime won't give up without a fight. Well, I guess we shouldn't either. Wow; I never thought I'd find myself applauding Prime for something. If Megatron heard about that, he would certainly be unsettled"

"P…Prime!" said Megatron quietly. Scrapper, Hightower, and Mixmaster all froze simultaneously and turned around to face him. "R…Revenge…" His fingers slowly began to twitch. "…I…must have…" His fingers twitch more and more until his fist finally began to curl up into a ball. "…Revenge!"

 **Author's note** : Okay; I'll admit that this version of Airachnid was slightly inspired by Lady Melisandre from _Game of Thrones_. In fact; if she had a theme for the series, it would be "The Red Woman" from the _Game of Thrones_ soundtrack.

 **Hellman76** : I think you may have forgotten to add what you wanted in your comment.

 **kira444** : Wow, that's pretty cool actually. Was it from that episode of TFP about the energon harvester? TO be honest; I haven't watched Prime in some time so I can't really be sure.

 **Guest** : Nice to know you're enjoying the story so far. In answer to your question, I do plan on adding Drift at some point later in the series.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Mindwipe will return later this season so you'll be seeing more of his abilities very soon.


	17. Lotus and Energon

_The Ark_

Prowl drove along the road towards the _Ark_ at sunset. As he approached the mountain, he noticed that the entrance to the _Ark_ was ripped open. Prowl stopped, transformed, and examined the entrance. Eventually examining it until he reached the bottom of it, he noticed that tank treads were located near it.

"Hey Prowl, what are you doing?" asked a voice. Prowl turned his hands into blaster and turned around, only to find himself facing Jazz. Prowl sighed and turned his blasters back into his hands.

"Next time, try to give me some warning beforehand" said Prowl. He turned back to the entrance.

"What's happened to the doors?" asked Jazz.

"Someone's managed to rip them open" replied Prowl "And it looks like it was a transformer" He pointed over to the tank tracks. He then pushed his way into the entrance and walked into the _Ark_. As he entered the bridge, he noticed something small near Teletraan I. He ran over to it, picked it up, and noticed that it was a dart of a particular time.

 _Earlier_

Ratchet was doing work at Teletraan I when a mysterious shadowy figure with red optics snuck up behind him, extended its arm out, and shot an electric dart at Ratchet which hit the back of his head, electrocuting him.

"AHHH!" exclaimed Ratchet before collapsing unconscious and being dragged off.

 _Back to reality_

Prowl put the dart down and looked around the room until eventually noticing something on above the entrance to a hallway. He ran over to it and noticed that it was a slight dent with a small sliver of energon on it.

 _Earlier_

Bumblebee and Arcee walked into the bridge when they were both grabbed by a large cable and hauled up towards the roof.

"WOAH!" exclaimed Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously. Bumblebee knocked his head on the way up.

 _Back to reality_

"What's happened to everyone?" asked Jazz "No one's here" Prowl ignored him, looked off down the hallway, and walked down it with Jazz following him. He reached Wheeljack's workshop where he found a crushed piece gadget on the workbench.

 _Earlier_

Wheeljack was tinkering with an gadget when a shadowy figure crept up behind him and slammed his head onto the workbench, destroying the gadget.

 _Back to reality_

"Y'know; with those tank tracks outside, do you think it may have been someone like Blitzwing, Brawl, or Hailstorm?" asked Jazz.

"They didn't do this" replied Prowl "What happened here required lots of planning and preparation. None of them could have been smart enough to pull this off. This was someone else" He turned to the door and left.'

"Great, another Decepticon" said Jazz "The universe just loves us, doesn't it?"

"Jazz, is that you?" said a voice coming from a closet. Jazz turned to it. As Prowl entered Optimus's quarters, he noticed a long blade mark against the wall which he touched and slowly slid his hand across. He then noticed another electric dart on the floor.

 _Earlier_

Optimus sat in his quarters when the door opened up to reveal the shadowy figure.

"Ironhide, is that—" said Optimus shortly before the figure pulled a large katana from his waist and swung it at him, only for Optimus to dodge and strike the wall instead. Optimus retracted out his battle mask and extended his blades out. As the shadowy figure struck again, Optimus blocked his attacks. "Who are you and why are you attacking me?" Suddenly, the figure shot an electric dart at him again and rendered him unconscious.

 _Back to reality_

"Prowl—" said Jazz as he entered Optimus's quarters.

"They're gone, Jazz" said Prowl "Optimus and the others, they've been taken"

"On a slightly different note, you won't believe who I found in Wheeljack's workshop" said Jazz. Prowl looked down to Melody, Bobby, and Kate who stood next to Jazz.

"What are you three doing here?" asked Prowl.

"Bumblebee and Arcee picked us up afterschool as usual; but after about an hour here, Bulkhead came under attack and he hid us inside Wheeljack's closet and told us to be quiet" replied Kate.

"Did you see the assailant?" asked Prowl.

"Not fully" replied Bobby.

"Then describe what you did see" said Prowl.

"From what we were able to make out, he had red optics; so I think we all know what that meant" said Melody.

"Anything else?" asked Prowl.

"He carried a sword" replied Melody "And…his face, it looked like a skull" Prowl went quiet.

"Prowl?" asked Jazz.

"Get the children out of here, Jazz" said Prowl.

"What's the problem?" asked Jazz.

"We need to get them as far from here as possible" replied Prowl "If what I've seen and what they described holds up, we both know what it means"

"Wait; you don't mean him, do you?" asked Jazz.

"Yes, he finally found us after all of these years" replied Prowl.

"Who's him?" asked Melody.

"Someone I thought I'd never see again" replied Prowl "Bludgeon"

 **Lotus and Energon**

 _The Ark_

Kate got herself into Jazz and sat next to Melody and Bobby.

"That's all of you, now go!" said Prowl.

"Whatever it is, we can help" said Melody.

"Believe me, you can't" said Prowl "You're not safe here, none of you are. Now Jazz, get them home immediately"

"I think she has a point, Prowl" said Jazz "Without the others, we're a bit thin in number"

"They're not soldiers, they're civilians" said Prowl "Know the difference, Jazz"

"They can help us in other ways" said Jazz.

"We don't have time to argue, just go!" said Prowl "And come back immediately, or ask for a ground bridge if you…just GO!" Jazz drove off out of the _Ark_. Prowl then turned and walked into his quarters. He opened up a cabinet, picked up a bunch of silver shurikens, and attached them to his belt. He then looked up at a glass container above it that held a large katana.

 _Meanwhile_

"Sorry about the little incident tonight, folks" said Jazz "I don't think any of us were expecting a crazed Decepticon to mess everything up"

"Will the others be alright?" asked Kate.

"I'm sure they will" replied Jazz "I mean; if he wanted them dead, why would he take them alive?"

"Unless of course he was delivering them to someone who wanted to kill them themselves" said Melody.

"What?" asked Jazz.

"Nothing" replied Melody "Just something that Prowl would probably say. But he feels different; he's still strict and convinced he's in the right as always, but he seems much more…nervous. What's the deal with this Bludgeon who supposedly did all of this?"

"As I said before; Prowl's had it hard in this war, and Bludgeon was a big part of that" replied Jazz.

"So can you tell us how he and Prowl began a…rivalry, I guess?" asked Bobby.

"To tell you that, I'll have to start with a different part of the story" replied Jazz "Prowl and I were once a part of the Cyber-Ninja corps back on Cybertron. The corps was a centerpiece for Autobot security that practiced the Cybertronian martial arts. I joined it during the war to help find my place; and once I was ready, I went to the frontlines to help Optimus. Prowl meanwhile came there by accident; we found him unconscious at the aftermath of an extremely heated battle and brought him back to the Temple"

 _Flashback_

Prowl (who didn't wear his visor lens) lay upon a bed within a medical bay. Suddenly, he opened his optics up, pulled himself up and breathed heavily.

"Calm down" said a voice. Prowl turned his left to see a black, gold, and white Autobot with a very distinctive helmet standing beside him.

"Where am I?" asked Prowl "Who are you?"

"Calm down" said the Autobot whilst slowly pushing Prowl back down onto the bed. At that moment, Ratchet entered.

"Nice to see a patient is finally up and about" said Ratchet "The sooner one's awake, the better" He pulled out a small torch. "Follow this" He flashed it in Prowl's optics which followed the light. He turned it off. "Your optics seem perfectly stable, that's good. I did a physical while you were out, but I'll take one last check. Hold out your arm" As Prowl held out his arm, Ratchet scanned it with his wrist. "That's good; now the other arm" He scanned the other arm which Prowl held out. "Good; now the rest" He scanned the rest of Prowl's body. "You seem to be in good, stable condition; all I'd suggest is some more rest and avoided in anything that could strain you, and I'm sure you'll get better in no time"

"Thank you, Ratchet" said the Autobot.

"You're welcome" said Ratchet "I'd stay to see you recover, but I've still got jobs out on the frontlines that I just can't ignore"

"I understand" said the Autobot. Ratchet left the room.

"What…What happened in the battle?" asked Prowl.

"I'm afraid that the battle was lost, on both sides" replied the Autobot "There were very few survivors; you're lucky that Ratchet was able to pull you out while you were still alive"

"By the AllSpark…" said Prowl "But what is this place and who—"

"You have already asked these questions, so I shall answer them" said the Autobot "Welcome to the Cyber-Ninja Temple, my name is Yoketron"

"Yoketron?" said Prowl "You want something from me, don't you?"

"No doubt you're eager to return to the frontlines once you've healed" said Yoketron "That is understandable and I can respect it; but I was going to give you a different path"

"And what was that?" asked Prowl.

"Let me show you" replied Yoketron. He helped Prowl up out of the bed who almost collapsed upon touching the floor. "You're feet are still getting used to standing yourself up"

"Then wouldn't it be better to rest then?" asked Prowl.

"If you don't let your body get used to acting, you'll never get yourself walking again" replied Yoketron. He brought Prowl out of the medical bay and into the dojo. As Prowl looked around, he saw various Autobots on training equipment and even a few in sparring matches. "Many Autobots come to me, those who have lost their way or wish for something different in life; and I train them all to reach the best of their potentials. You see; marital arts is not a weapon to destroy the enemy, but rather a form of defense for both yourself and for others around you"

"It sounds interesting but…I'm just not sure if it's me" said Prowl.

"How so?" asked Yoketron.

"Well…I just don't know" replied Prowl.

"You're uncertain about this" said Yoketron "Fear of the unknown is always something that troubles us all. We just need to rise above it and focus on whether the positives outweigh the negatives"

"But is it right for me?" asked Prowl.

"You'll never know unless you try" replied Yoketron "Here, let me show you something" He brought Prowl off to the side of the dojo and into another room. A group of holographic busts of various Autobots were at the end of the room with Yoketron's bust at the center.

"Who are these Autobots?" asked Prowl.

"They are my star pupils" said Yoketron "When I first met all of them, they were unsure of themselves in this position just like you; but they all rose above their fears in the end to reach their best potential and make a difference" As Prowl looked over at the busts, he noticed that the one next to Yoketron was turned off. "I won't force you into this; the decision is yours and yours alone. If you choose to leave, then I will respect your wish; but if you chose to stay, I can guarantee that I will make sure you reach such potential. You may look around the dojo and get yourself acquainted with the others, I will be in my chambers meditating; you may come back here if you've reached a decision" Prowl exited the chambers and looked around at the other students training. He then noticed a balcony, walked to it, and overlooked the mountain that the temple was located on. As he looked off into the distance, he sighed.

 _Later_

Prowl knocked on Yoketron's door which was answered straight away.

"You have made a decision?" asked Yoketron.

"I have" replied Prowl "The truth is, I've got nothing to go back to in this war; my whole battalion's dead and they were the only thing that really kept me going. Maybe this is the chance to turn over a new leaf and one that I just can't turn down. So yes, I'm staying; for now, at least"

"Very well" said Yoketron "From here on, you shall refer to me as Sensei. All I ask of you is that you be patient with your teachings and, if necessary, don't hold back"

"So when does my training start?" asked Prowl.

"Now" replied Yoketron.

" _So; as the days turned into the weeks and the weeks into months, Prowl put all of his strength into his training. Things were a little rough at first and there were many obstacles that held him back, but he eventually got the hang of it and rose to be the number one pupil at the dojo. He never disobeyed an order and he was the most patient out of all of us. Yoketron grew very fond of him"_

 _A few months later_

Prowl sparred with a fellow student and finally defeated him by knocking him to the ground with a kick to the legs.

"Better luck next time" said Prowl whilst helping the student up.

"Good job, Prowl" said Yoketron "You've come a long way since we first met. Using the environment around you is a vital asset in combat and how to outsmart your opponent. You've adapted well to this"

"Yeah; about that, I've got a question and it's been bothering me for some time, Sensei" said Prowl.

"What is it?" asked Yoketron.

"When you showed me the holograms, I couldn't help but notice that one of them was turned off" said Prowl "Why was that?"

"Come with me" said Yoketron. He brought Prowl back into his chambers. "The hologram that was once here belonged to my star pupil. His name was Bludgeon. When I first met him, he was insecure and scared; so I trained him in the ways of the Cyber Ninja. He was a good student, patient and persistent. He grew to be a strong and great warrior and I was very proud of him. If only my pride hadn't blinded me from what was happening"

"What went wrong?" asked Prowl.

"The skills I gave him, he became a little too drunk with his power" replied Yoketron "He began believing they made him superior to his foes, so he began branding them to show his "superiority". As it escalated, it got worse; he began killing his foes without a shred of mercy and taking a piece of them as a trophy. It took a long time, but I eventually came to realization of what I he was doing and so I put a stop to it. I stripped him of his honors and exiled him. I haven't seen him since" A subtle yet shocked expression befell on Prowl's face.

 _Back to reality_

"So Bludgeon was a student who turned bad" said Bobby.

"Yeah" said Jazz "He was Yoketron's pride and knowing the atrocities he'd committed and being forced to exile him destroyed him"

"So where does he come in?" asked Melody.

"Very shortly" replied Jazz.

 _Flashback_

Prowl approached Yoketron who was meditating in his chambers.

"You summoned me, Sensei" said Prowl. Yoketron didn't reply. "Sensei?" Suddenly, Yoketron opened his optics wide, pulled a katana from his waist, and swung forward at Prowl, who dodged. "What was that for?"

"Defeat me" said Yoketron.

"What?" said Prowl.

"Defeat me!" said Yoketron. He swung forward at Prowl again, who leapt back and slammed against the wall. He looked up at the wall behind him and saw a katana that was on display. He reached up, grabbed it, and swung back at Yoketron. The two continued clashing with Yoketron showing the superior skills. As Prowl found himself cornered and outmaneuvered, he leapt over Yoketron and landed behind

"What is all of this about?" asked Prowl. Yoketron didn't reply and instead struck back towards Prowl with great force, but Prowl nonetheless blocked him. "Some sort of initiation or just another test? Fine then, I'll play this game" He pulled out a shuriken and threw it at a banner above them, causing it to collapse down towards them. Prowl leapt out of the way as it fell on top of Yoketron and trapped him. Yoketron soon cut himself free but was soon sent to the floor as Prowl kicked him down and held the katana at his face.

"You have passed" said Yoketron.

"So it is a test" said Prowl. As Yoketron got himself up, Prowl reluctantly placed his katana away.

"This was your final test to see yourself ready" said Yoketron "It was to see how well you adjusted to an unexpected battle and you did well at it. You showed true persistence and creativity with your environment. You are ready to take on the title of Cyber-Ninja" He gestured over to a table near them where a blue visor lens. Prowl walked up to it and slowly placed it over his eyes.

 _Back to reality_

"So how does Bludgeon come into this?" asked Melody.

"Right about this part" replied Jazz "As the years went on, I went onto the frontlines whilst Prowl stayed at the temple to help out Yoketron. Or at least that was until a fateful day that changed everything forever"

 _Flashback_

Prowl approached Yoketron who was meditating on the balcony.

"Sensei, is it okay if I ask you something?" asked Prowl.

"By all means, Prowl" replied Yoketron "What is it you wish to speak?"

"Before Jazz left to go onto the frontlines, he asked me to go with him" replied Prowl.

"And what did you say in response?" asked Yoketron.

"I turned him down" replied Prowl "But I'm not sure whether that was the right decision. When I first came here, all I wanted to do was go back onto the frontlines; but when Jazz asked me, I just didn't feel like doing it"

"Perhaps you really didn't want to anymore" said Yoketron "Perhaps you would rather stay here"

"Maybe" said Prowl "But there's a war going on and we need to win it for our sakes"

"We all have our part to play" said Yoketron "For some of us, it's to fight directly. For some of us, it's to take a more defensive part"

"Maybe you're right" said Prowl.

"Just remember to choose what you truly feel is right for you" said Yoketron "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? It's moments like this that really make you feel the weight of the universe; at times it can feel like the heaviest thing of all, or it can feel lighter than anything else"

"Things have been awfully quiet since most of the students left here to help with the war" said Prowl. At that moment, a loud zooming sound erupted in the air. "That noise…I've…heard it before" Suddenly, several large Decepticon gunships came down from the clouds. "Decepticons! They've found us!" Suddenly, the gunships began shooting at the balcony.

"Inside, now!" said Yoketron. He and Prowl rushed back into the dojo

"How did they find us?" asked Prowl "I thought we were hidden from them"

"We are" said Yoketron "No Decepticon would know of our location unless…"

"Unless what?" asked Prowl. Suddenly, a gunships shot through the roof and enabled several Vehicons to enter.

"Activate the beacon and alert the Elite Guard" said Yoketron "Then rally the remaining students to man the defenses"

"What about you?" asked Prowl.

"I'll stay here and hold them off" replied Yoketron whilst pulling out his katana.

"What!?" exclaimed Prowl "But what if they—"

"Prowl, if the Elite Guard isn't informed we will be outnumbered" said Yoketron "You have to do this for all of us"

"I understand" said Prowl. He pulled out shurikens and threw them at three Vehicons before sprinting out of the dojo. The Vehicons turned to him and opened fire but Yoketron ran up to them and cut them down. The remaining Vehicons turned to him and began shooting but were soon cut down within seconds.

"I would savor the appetizer if I were you" said an unsettling voice from the shadows. Yoketron turned to see a shadowy figure with red optics standing before him. "Rushing to the main course just makes it unsatisfying" The shadowy figure stepped out to reveal itself to be a large Decepticon with orange, carchi, and crimson coloration.

"Bludgeon, what are you doing here?" said Yoketron.

"You always were straight to the point; weren't you, Sensei?" said Bludgeon "And what does it look like? Did you really think that the Decepticons found your precious temple by pure chance?"

"I knew you were a snake, Bludgeon; but allying yourself with the Decepticons" said Yoketron.

"I offered them the location of the elusive Cyber-Ninja Temple; and in return, they gave me the opportunity to lead the attack" said Bludgeon.

"You're not going to get away with this" said Yoketron "Any moment now, the beacon will be activated and the Elite Guard will arrive"

"Doesn't matter" said Bludgeon "By the time they arrive, they'll be too late to capture me. Oh; and you'll be gone too" He pulled out a katana and charged towards Yoketron where their blades met and they clashed. "Doesn't this remind you of the days you used to train me? Remember how I was your star pupil? You gave me everything and yet you took it away!"

"You allowed your actions to take it away!" said Yoketron.

"My actions?" said Bludgeon "You always told us to use creativity"

"You twisted my teachings to fit your own sadistic desires" said Yoketron. Bludgeon smiled evilly before slipping his blade towards Yoketron's shoulder and giving him a slight cut in the arm. Bludgeon leapt back immediately.

"Come and get some!" smirked Bludgeon. Yoketron raised his katana again but almost dropped it as he felt a great surge of pain go throughout his body. He charged at Bludgeon again but almost fell over from exhaustion. Bludgeon walked up to him again. "Well; that was anticlimactic" He raised his katana again and slammed it down at Yoketron who blocked the attack with his own sword.

"I'm not finished yet!" breathed Yoketron.

"You got that right!" said Bludgeon. He overpowered Yoketron and knocked him in the face before kicking him in the chest, grabbing him by the neck, and continuously punched him in the face before finally slamming him into the ground with full force. "You have gotten old, haven't you?!" At that moment, Prowl appeared in the doorway of the dojo.

"No!" exclaimed Prowl. He pulled out several shurikens and threw them at Bludgeon who deflected them with his katana. Prowl ran at Bludgeon but was easily slapped out of the way.

"You'll have to wait your turn, squirt" said Bludgeon. He walked back over to Yoketron, picked up the Autobot sensei's katana, and raised both swords above him. "Any last words?"

"Primus help you, Bludgeon" breathed Yoketron "For you are truly lost"

"You don't get it, do you?" said Bludgeon "You're recognition means nothing to me now; all I want now is your spark!" Prowl raised his head to see Bludgeon ram both katanas into Yoketron's chest. Bludgeon then ripped off the helmet from Yoketron's head and placed it onto his own head, with energon still dripping off it onto his face. Prowl leapt up and charged at Bludgeon who grabbed him by the wrist and threw him against wall. "Now it's your turn!" He slammed both katanas down at Prowl who grabbed him by the wrists causing the two blades to cross. "You're pretty strong, I'll give you that" As the two blades began to spark until eventually one of them reached his face and ignited the energon drenched all over it. "AHHHHH!" He stepped back holding his burning face in pain and began walking around aimlessly until eventually reaching the balcony and falling off of it. Prowl ran over to Yoketron's body.

"Sensei?" said Prowl "Master? No….NO!"

 _Back to reality_

"We found no remains of Bludgeon's body and we never saw him after that" said Jazz "We presumed he died in the wilderness"

"Apparently he didn't" said Kate.

"And now he's back" said Jazz "For whatever reason, he's back. And he couldn't have picked worse timing for us" On top of a hill near them stood a Type 10 tank which waited patiently for them and aimed carefully. "When I met Prowl afterwards, he just wasn't the same. Yoketron's death had really tore him apart. As time went on, all that pain slowly turned into bitterness and he became critical. He still blames himself for what happens" Suddenly, the tank fired a shot at him causing him to swerve out of control.

"What was that!?" exclaimed Bobby.

"Someone fired a shot at us" replied Jazz "Hang on; I'll try to regain control and get us out of here" Suddenly, the tank sped down the hill and drove in front of them.

"What's a tank doing here?" said Kate.

"Oh no!" said Jazz. Suddenly, the tank transformed into Bludgeon who still wore Yoketron's helmet (albeit painted crimson) and whose face was now white and skull-like in appearance. He stopped Jazz by placing his foot over his front.

"Hello Jazz!" said Bludgeon. Jazz desperately tried to zoom free but found himself trapped. "There is no point trying; not unless you transform, that is"

"Kids, get out!" said Jazz. Jazz opened his doors immediately and the three of them ran out. "And stay behind me!" He transformed and held Bludgeon back by holding onto his wrists.

"Nice to see you still now how to fight after all these years" said Bludgeon.

"Nice to see that you've adapted to Earth so quickly" said Jazz. Bludgeon pushed him forward.

"Prowl, do you read me?" said Jazz into his comlink "Prowl?"

 _Meanwhile_

"I hear you, Jazz" said Prowl into Teletraan I "What's the problem?"

"Whilst driving the kids home, I got a little intervention from Bludgeon" said Jazz out of Teletraan I "Could really use a little assistance" Prowl looked up his location on Teletraan I.

"Stay put, Jazz; I'm coming" said Prowl "Just remember to keep the children safe until I arrive"

"Roger that" replied Jazz "Just get here quickly, he's not playin' around. I don't know long I can AHHHHH!"

"Jazz?" said Prowl. There was no reply. "JAZZ!" He briefly checked his shurikens before opening a ground bridge to Jazz's coordinates and going through it. When he got to the other side, he found that Bludgeon was nowhere in sight and Jazz was lying painfully on the ground. "Jazz!" Prowl rushed over to him and kneeled down to his side. "Are you alright?" He noticed a small recording pad lying on the ground beside Jazz and picked it up to place on his waist. "Jazz, do you hear me? Jazz?" Jazz slowly lifted his head up.

"I knew he was tough but…damn!" said Jazz.

"He carefully planned an infiltration on the _Ark_ " said Prowl "No doubt he's studied us for a long time to learn our strengths and our weaknesses" He looked around and saw that Melody, Bobby, and Kate were missing. "Where are the children?"

"They're…They're gone" replied Jazz "He took them away"

 _A few minutes later_

"Why can't Teletraan I track them?" asked Prowl.

"I dunno'" replied Jazz "Maybe because they're not Autobots"

"We should've placed tracking devices in their phones like I suggested" said Prowl.

"That was unnecessary from the get go" said Jazz.

"What about the situation now?" asked Prowl.

"Look; even if we did place tracers on them, it probably wouldn't be any good" said Jazz "Here, I'll get Teletraan to see where Optimus is" He typed into Teletraan I and nothing came up. "See? Nothing. Bludgeon's been planning this for months, he's been sure to get the bases covered. If going to kidnap the Autobots, he'll make sure we can't track their location"

"But we have to find him" said Prowl "Every moment he's out there, no one is safe"

"And you're right" said Jazz "But we have to take this slowly. Even if we knew where he and the others were, there's still only two of us. We have to take this slowly; we'll come up with a plan to find them then come up with a plan to rescue the others, and then see where it goes from there"

"What do you have in mind?" asked Prowl.

"This is a long shot; but Wheeljack's workshop is filled with stuff, perhaps something in there could work" replied Jazz "I'll be back shortly" He turned and left. Prowl sighed, got out the recording pad on his waist, and turned it on. A recording of Bludgeon appeared on the pad.

"I know you, Prowl" said Bludgeon "And I think you're smart enough to recognize me. I'll keep this brief. By now, I have your precious Autobots and Humans as hostages and I won't hesitate to execute all of them without a second thought. Come to me, alone; I'll be waiting for you. Coordinates as follow" A picture of the coordinates appeared on the pad. Prowl turned and walked down the hallway and into his quarters where he opened up the cabinet again and took a long look at the katana in the glass container before opening it up, pulling the katana out, and stared at it in his hands. He then looked over at a box filled with vials of liquid.

 _A few minutes later_

Jazz walked into the bridge with a bunch of Wheeljack's inventions.

"Hey Prowl, I've found some stuff that might…" said Jazz shortly before realizing that Prowl was nowhere in sight "Prowl?" He looked around and saw no sight of him. "Oh no!" He dropped the inventions and ran over to Teletraan I where he typed into the controls to look for Prowl's location. "Please still be in the _Ark_ ; please please!" Prowl's location appeared as going away from the _Ark_. "Scrap! Whatever you're doing, Prowl, just stop!"

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl drove out across the desert until he reached a large cliff that overlooked a ravine, where a large Cybertronian ship had landed. He stopped and transformed whilst in clear sight of it.

 _Meanwhile in the cockpit of the ship_

Bludgeon looked at Prowl through his ship's cameras and smirked evilly.

"Couldn't resist the bait, couldn't you?" said Bludgeon. He slowly extended his finger over to the entrance controls to open them up.

 _Meanwhile_

As the entrance opened up, Prowl turned his hand into his blaster and slowly entered. As he walked through the entrance, he found himself in a large hallway that was devoid of light. Finding it hard to see, he switched his visor lens to night vision to see better and what he saw shocked him.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Prowl quietly. Suddenly, the lights to the hallway were abruptly turned on. "EH!" He readjusted his visor lens to suit the lighting better. The entire hallway was filled with weapons and accessories of other Cyber-Ninjas whom Bludgeon had presumably killed. He slowly walked down it until reaching the end, where he heard muffled noises coming from another hallway. He entered the other hallway and found a soul light shining down upon Melody, Bobby, and Kate, all of whom were tied up and gagged. He took a cautious step towards them.

"That's about as far as you'll go" said a voice from the shadows. Bludgeon stepped out and placed his sword across Melody, Bobby, and Kate. "Or their heads will pop off!"

"Leave them out of this, Bludgeon!" said Prowl whilst pulling out a shuriken.

"I already told you to stay back" said Bludgeon "It amazes me how fragile these Humans are. One little stab to the goo and they're instantly dead. Now; if you want them to stay alive, you'll drop your weapons now" Prowl bared his teeth. "I said drop the weapons!" He slowly edged his katana closer to the Humans' necks. Prowl sighed. He dropped his shurikens onto the ground. "I meant all of them" Prowl slowly pulled out his katana and slowly placed it on the ground in front of him. "That's better"

"Listen; I understand why you want me, but keep the others out of this" said Prowl.

"What, for this?" said Bludgeon whilst slowly tapping the side of his face "No, I've gotten used to it; I've come for something much different than a simple disfigurement. After I killed Yoketron, I thought I would find some sort of fulfillment; and yet I didn't, there was something missing. I may have killed him, but he was still there, scratching at the inside of my skull. I've set out to do a task that's more than killing one single Autobot; I'll kill every last one of his students until his legacy is nothing but dust. It's taken time, but it's been worth it. Now it's your turn; I only spared Jazz because I wanted you first. As you could see from the hallway, I've already earned myself a collection"

"They don't belong to you" said Prowl.

"It's all that's left of them, do you really expect me to leave them behind?" said Bludgeon "But there is one that I don't keep in my collection; I keep it much nearer to me all the time" Prowl looked at him and noticed Yoketron's helmet on his head.

"Yoketron's helmet!" exclaimed Prowl.

"Had to adjust the color, but it fit like a glove nonetheless" said Bludgeon "The collection you've seen will be all that remains of his legacy; and once the dust clears, I'll be the sole survivor"

"You stopped being one of us when you abandoned our ways" said Prowl.

"Spare me your intolerance" said Bludgeon "You know, I think I feel my blade slowly itching towards their necks" Prowl sighed and relaxed his position.

"Okay, you win; do what you want with me, but don't hurt the others" said Prowl. Bludgeon lifted his blade up and walked over to Prowl.

"Did you really think they were going to spare them?" said Bludgeon "After I'm done with you, I'll go after Jazz; and once he's dead, I'll kill every last one of them!" He raised his katana but a pair of nunchaku swung past, wrapped around Bludgeon's wrist, and held him back. Prowl turned his head to see Jazz standing on the other end of them.

"Prowl, watch out!" said Jazz. Bludgeon mustered all of his strength and swung down at Prowl, who dodged to the side. Bludgeon then ripped himself free of the nunchuks.

"It's over, Bludgeon!" said Prowl "Surrender now!" Bludgeon looked back at the Humans, grabbed Melody, and ran off. "No!"

"We have to stop him" said Jazz.

"No, Jazz" said Prowl "Get Bobby and Kate out of here and then look for the others"

"What about you?" asked Jazz.

"I'll get Melody back from Bludgeon" replied Prowl.

"Prowl, this is what he wants" said Jazz "He wants to lure you into—"

"Do you think I don't know that?!" snapped Prowl "We don't have time to discuss this. Melody's in danger and we can't let Bludgeon get away, he knows our location. Just get the Humans, find the others, and get out of here. Do you understand?"

"I get it" replied Jazz with a sigh "I don't entirely agree with it, but I get it"

"That's good enough" said Prowl "Now go!" Jazz grabbed Bobby and Kate and ran out. Prowl looked down at his weapons on the ground, picked them up swiftly, and ran off in the direction Bludgeon had gone in. His path led him to the engine room, where he saw Melody lying on top of an engine on the platform which hovered in front of him. He pulled out his katana and slowly walked over to her. It was around this time that he heard a familiar unsettling voice.

"You were Yoketron's star pupil, weren't you?" said Bludgeon's voice "I was once. He gave everything to me, told me I was the best that he had ever seen; he gave me a place in amongst his best students, but he knew I was better than any of them nonetheless. And yet, he turned on me the moment I did something he was unhappy with"

"He had a proper reason to disown you" said Prowl "You used the skills he gave you to your own selfish obsessions; that's something no Cyber-Ninja should do. It tore him apart to see how much of a monster you had become?"

"Monster?" said Bludgeon's voice. Suddenly, Bludgeon leapt out from behind Prowl and swung his katana at him, only for Prowl to meet his blade with his own. "Is that what they labeled me after I was exiled? Monster?"

"By all rights you are" said Prowl "Branding people? Taking parts of them as trophies?" The two of them broke off"

"Yoketron taught me much, but he was misguided and delusional" said Bludgeon as he walked up towards Prowl again "He treated power as if it were some kind of burden; I saw it as a gift and reveled in it"

"You really don't care about the lives of others, do you?" said Prowl.

"They're just enemies, why sympathize with them?" said Bludgeon. He swung his katana back at Prowl with a powerful swing. "Do you want me to go easy on you?"

"I never said anything about that" said Prowl.

"Good!" said Bludgeon. He drove Prowl back who summersaulted back onto his feet. "Hopefully you'll go down slower than the others!" He charged at Prowl again and the two began clashing. Bludgeon slammed Prowl against a fuel pipe and held him there. "Yoketron was soft on you. He taught me everything and didn't hold back. I didn't complain because I knew it would make me a great warrior!"

"What are you going to do, talk me to death?" said Prowl.

"No, I'm just going to beat you to death" replied Bludgeon. Prowl slipped out just as Bludgeon slashed past him, hitting the pipe instead and causing fuel to leak out everywhere. Melody's eyes turned to the fuel before darting back to the fight where Bludgeon turned back and rammed into Prowl again with full force causing the Autobot to roll across the platform. As Prowl got himself up, Bludgeon walked up to him and raised his katana. "Die!" Prowl quickly grabbed his own katana, transformed, and drove straight into him before transforming back. Bludgeon got himself up and cracked his neck.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and the other Autobots sat in a cell aboard Bludgeon's ship where Bulkhead and Ironhide were trying to knock down the door.

"Keep trying, we have to get this door down" said Breakaway.

"We're…trying!" said Bulkhead. Suddenly, the door opened up wide.

"Huh, guess this is the right one" said Jazz.

"Jazz, what are you doing here?" asked Bulkhead.

"Saving you guys, what does it look like?" replied Jazz "C'mon, let's get out of here before the big guy finds out" The Autobots rushed out of the cell.

"Jazz, where is Prowl?" asked Optimus.

"He's…He's busy" replied Jazz "But c'mon, we have to get out of here"

 _Meanwhile_

Bludgeon and Prowl clashed harder and harder until Bludgeon pinned him to the ground and placed his katana at his throat. Prowl turned his hand into his blaster and pointed it at Bludgeon's head; but Bludgeon slammed his wrist down, causing him to shoot right at the fuel, igniting it. Melody screamed beneath her gag and tried to wriggle away from the fire.

"Melody!" exclaimed Prowl. He pulled his way out of Bludgeon's grip, grabbed Melody, and pulled her away from the fire. Suddenly, Bludgeon rammed his katana straight through Prowl's shoulder blade, causing him to drop Melody onto the ground.

"You could've had a merciful death, but now I'm going to make you suffer!" snarled Bludgeon as he pulled the katana out. Prowl grabbed back onto his katana and swung back at Bludgeon, but felt a great surge of pain throughout his body and stepped back to hold onto the platform's railings. "Hurts, doesn't it?" He raised his blade and slammed it numerous times which were all blocked by Prowl's katana. As they clashed, Prowl desperately searched his waist for something before pulling out an injector and getting knocked over by Bludgeon with Melody's eyes widened in shock. "You put up more of a fight than my previous, including Yoketron" As he raised his katana up high, Prowl bared his teeth held a tight grip upon the injector. "Well, at least you'll be reunited" Just before he could swing his katana down, Prowl stuck the injector into his shoulder, blocked the attack with his katana, and got back onto his feet. "How did you—"

"Do you think Yoketron's death wasn't investigated?" said Prowl "They found a strange substance in his veins coming straight from a blade cut" Bludgeon looked down at his katana "You're a serpent, and they use poison; take that away, and their bite lessens!" Bludgeon gripped his katana and swung towards Prowl again; but Prowl jumped up over the blade, threw his katana into Bludgeon's shoulder causing him to step back in pain, leapt onto his chest, and kicked him in the face painfully with both feet. Bludgeon fell back onto his back, bleeding energon vigorously. Prowl walked over to him, pulled his sword from the shoulder wound, and removed Yoketron's helmet.

"You…have defeated me" said Bludgeon "Go ahead…avenge our master…it's what you want, isn't it? More than anything in the world…" Prowl held his katana over Bludgeon's face for a few seconds before placing it back onto his waist. "What are you doing?"

"I'm nothing like you" said Prowl "And I will never be" As he turned around back to Melody, Bludgeon slowly reached for his katana. Prowl picked melody up and ungagged. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah" replied Melody "Look out!" Prowl turned to see Bludgeon charging at him but he leapt into the air, causing the large Decepticon to run out of control and fall off the platform into the flaming abyss below. A loud clenching sound was heard from the roof.

"We have to get out of here, this whole place is collapsing" said Prowl. He ran out of the engine room, down the collapsing hallway, and out of the entrance just before the flaming remains of the ship collapsed and fell off of the cliff and down into the ravine below. As Prowl got himself up he breathed a sigh and looked down at the helmet in his hands.

 _Later_

Prowl placed Yoketron's helmet (which was now back to its black and gold color) on the shelf of the cabinet beside his katana.

"I see you got the helmet back, and to its old color as well" said Jazz.

"Just an electronic paint job, easily reversible" said Prowl.

"Do you…do you think he's still alive?" asked Jazz.

"He was in no position to escape whilst aboard a ship that was burning form the inside-out" replied Prowl "There's no way he could've survived that; and even if he did, he'd be left barely alive"

"Well, I'd better be off" said Jazz "Bumblebee and Arcee are taking the night off so I'll be dropping the kids home" As he left the room, Prowl turned back to Yoketron's helmet and slowly managed a small smile.

"Thank you, Sensei" said Prowl.

 _In memory of Wally Burr_

 **Hellman76** : The Terrorcons will turn up in the series eventually.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : I'm glad you liked it; they're my favorite Transformer pairing as well ;)

 **kira444** : That's actually quite interesting. I could certainly imagine Prima as Zeus and Megatronus Prime/the Fallen as Ares.

 **SirEmpire** : Thanks for the support, I really appreciate it.

 **Guest** : Megatron is definitely coming back.

 **Martin** : I'm glad you enjoyed it. As for Evac; I don't know much about Transformers: The Ride so I'm not sure.


	18. New Friends, New Adventures

_Suburbs of Carson City_

As the school bell rang, Melody, Bobby, and Kate stepped out of the front doors.

"Well, there goes another day" said Melody "Now off to Autobot HQ for another chill" As they walked down on the steps, they found Jazz up on the curb. "Umm…not that your presence isn't appreciated, but we were expecting a different ride"

"They're off today" said Jazz whilst opening a door "And I'm the substitute" Bobby and Kate looked over at Melody who shrugged her shoulders. The three of them got into Jazz and he drove off.

"So, what's up with Bumblebee and Arcee this time?" asked Melody "Beat up from some battle?"

"How should I know?" said Jazz "The two of 'em have been secretive ever since Crankcase attacked the _Ark_. They've only really turned up for meetings and the like"

"Do you think maybe…nah, that's ridiculous" said Kate.

"Believe me, you'll be surprised" smirked Jazz "So, anyone up for a tour?"

"No thank you" said Melody who seemed disinterested "Seen the place about a thousand times"

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

Bumblebee and Arcee stood in Bumblebee's quarters kissing.

"Why did we ever hold this off, Bee?" asked Arcee.

"I dunno'" replied Bumblebee "Maybe with the war going on, it was just too much all at once"

"I suppose that's good enough" said Arcee. The two were about to kiss again when the door slid open. As Ironhide entered, he found Bumblebee standing in the corner and Arcee sitting on his bed.

"What's going on here?" asked Ironhide.

"Nothing" replied Arcee.

"Nothing" replied Bumblebee. Ironhide smirked.

"I'll lead you two kids alone" smirked Ironhide as he closed the door and walked off over to the cells where Prowl looked over an incarcerated Airachnid. "What's the news on our new house guest?"

"She hasn't said anything since capture" replied Prowl "She hasn't even looked up. She's obviously experienced things like this first"

"Have you tried getting up close and personal with her?" asked Ironhide.

"The thought had crossed my mind, but it's too dangerous" replied Prowl "If I even open the cell, she'll see it as an opportunity to escape"

"Good point" said Ironhide "I read her file, she's escaped from about four maximum security prisons and the details are still fuzzy"

"That's a word of encouragement" said Prowl sarcastically "We can't give up, she's our sole connection to finding out about Crankcase's operation"

"Prowl, Ironhide" said a voice. They turned to see Ratchet walking up to them.

"What is it, Ratchet?" asked Prowl.

"Teletraan I picked up something not far from here" replied Ratchet "You've got to come quick" As he walked off back to the bridge, Prowl and Ironhide followed him.

"I guess this puts us on hold for the moment" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

"So what'd you think of the view?" asked Jazz as he drove along the road.

"Shouldn't we be at the base by now?" asked Bobby.

"Sure, at the shortened route" replied Jazz "But this is the scenic route. I thought you guys would like it"

"But we just want to get straight to base" said Melody.

"Alright then, you really want to get straight back to base then I guess I'll just turn right around and…" said Jazz as he turned around "Woah!" He skidded to a stop.

"Why are we stopping?" asked Kate.

"Guys, I think you should get out" said Jazz as he opened his door to let them out. As the three of them got out, Jazz transformed.

"How…it can't…it's just not possible" said Melody.

"I know" said Jazz. Lying right in front of them was a crashed Cybertronian ship.

"Is this—" asked Bobby.

"Cybertronian?" replied Jazz "Yeah" He walked over to the ship. "Question is: Autobot or Decepticon?" He rubbed away the dust from its side to reveal an Autobot insignia. "Autobot; now that's a good sign"

"What are we going to do now?" asked Melody.

"First: I'm going to radio base and make sure the others get out here in time" replied Jazz "Second: I'll drop you three back home for the day"

"Why so early?" asked Kate.

"You know why" replied Jazz "If the Decepticons detected this, they'll come out here and swarm the place like Scraplets over the last metal shard; and I think we all know it's better if you're out of the way" Suddenly, several blaster bolts shot past him. Jazz turned around. "Such terrible timing" Starscream and Slipstream flew down and landed in front of him.

"Well, well, well; look what we've found!" smirked Starscream.

"Oh scrap!" exclaimed Jazz.

 **New Faces, New Adventures**

 _Suburbs of Carson City_

"We were merely tracking down the site of a crashed Autobot vessel; and not only do we find it but and a lone Autobot as well" smirked Starscream. He looked down at Melody, Bobby, and Kate. "And if I'm not mistaken, you've brought along the Autobots' Human pet" Melody frowned. "And it appears that it has multiplied"

"Kids, stay behind me" said Jazz quietly. He turned his hands into his blasters. "Listen, Screamer; you take one step forward and I'll blow you onto the moon"

"Jazz, don't put your life on the line like this" said Slipstream "We've only come for the vessel. Step away from it with the Humans and we'll let you off"

"You know I can't do that" said Jazz.

"Step away?" said Starscream "Feeling compassion for your favorite Autobot?"

"Not at all" replied Slipstream "I am merely statin the fact that we came here to salvage, not to become involved in some useless firefight"

"Duly noted" said Starscream "And ignored; fire at will!"

"Oh boy!" exclaimed Jazz as the Vehicons opened fire upon him. "Get back!" Jazz hid behind a fin of the crashed ship. He pointed his blasters out and began shooting at the Vehicons. "Optimus, I've got a little trouble. I was driving Melody and the others back to the base when we came across a crashed Autobot ship. I was about to call you when the Cons showed up and attacked. Think you could give a little backup?"

"I'll have Ratchet organize a ground bridge to send in reinforcements quickly" replied Optimus through his comlink "In the meantime, try to hold on until we arrive"

"Got it" replied Jazz before shooting back at the Vehicons.

"Quickly, there's only one!" snapped Starscream "Into the ship!" The Vehicons blasted the doors open and ran into it.

"Oh no you don't!" said Jazz. He ran out into the open, only to find himself outnumbered. "Oh…unwise!" Thundercracker, Skywarp, Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Dead End, and Hailstorm surrounded him. "And you've brought the whole Decepticon shabang this time to make sure everyone gets a piece of the action" Suddenly, Skywarp teleported, reappeared behind him, and grabbed onto him. "Geez…you really love that little trick of yours, don't ya?"

"It beats you big time!" said Skywarp.

"Problem is, you ain't bright enough to use it better than you can" said Jazz. He pushed Skywarp against the ship but he let go and teleported away before he could make impact. Skywarp reappeared in front of him.

"Oops!" exclaimed Skywarp. With a quick kick, Jazz knocked him over.

"That was a bad tactical mistake on Skywarp's half" said Blitzwing " **GET THE AUTOBOT!** " He and the other four Decepticons charged at Jazz all at once. Jazz leapt into the air and landed on top of the crashed ship.

"I've gotta' give you props for attacking me all at once as opposed to individually" said Jazz "If more evil henchmen did this, there'd be less of these situations"

"I'm not sure Spider-Manning his way out of this is a good idea" said Bobby quietly.

"Evil henchmen, huh?" said Thundercracker "Not a wise thing to say"

"You seem…surprising devoted today, Thundercracker" said Jazz "I thought you were supposed to be the less positive member of the group"

"Quickly, let's rush him all at once!" said Astrotrain. He, Blitzwing, and Thundercracker transformed and flew at Jazz all at once.

"Oh boy!" exclaimed Jazz as he grabbed onto Thundercracker as they flew off "Wow; talk about over my head!"

"Get off me!" snarled Thundercracker as he flew around and around to shake Jazz off. Jazz held on persistently. "Right then!" He sped up and let out a deafening sonic boom.

"Ahhhh!" exclaimed Jazz whilst covering his ears "Uh-oh!" He lost grip and fell off towards the ground at an alarming rate.

"Jazz!" exclaimed Melody. Even Slipstream showed a slight sign of concern on her face, which Starscream noticed immediately and huffed at.

"Huh, falling to my death off of the top of a Seeker?" said Jazz to himself "Never thought it would end like this. Seriously, never saw it coming" Suddenly, Breakaway swooped past and caught him. "Well; better hold that off" He looked down and saw that Optimus, Bumblebee, Arcee, Ironhide, and Prowl had arrived via ground bridge.

"Retreat, Starscream!" said Optimus whilst pointing his ion blasters at Starscream.

"Ah, the valiant Optimus come to foil my plans, as usual" said Starscream "Only this time, you've arrived far too late. We know what the craft is and you don't"

"What are you talking about, Starscream?" asked Optimus.

"Do you really expect me to simply give away my entire plan?" said Starscream "No; none of it is for you to know"

"Lord Starscream" said a Vehicon who ran out of the entrance.

"What is it?" snapped Starscream "Did you find it?"

"No" replied the Vehicon "We've captured ourselves a prisoner and brought him immediately back to the _Nemesis_ —"

"If you haven't found it yet, why aren't you still looking for it?" snapped Starscream.

"That's the problem" replied the Vehicon "After we apprehended the prisoner, we continued our search until—"

"Retreat!" yelled a Vehicon as it and the other Vehicons ran out of the ship being chased by a giant green dragon which squeezed its way through the entrance and roared.

"That appeared" said the first Vehicon.

"What is that supposed to be?!" exclaimed Starscream.

"It looks like a Predacon only covered in flesh" said Slipstream.

"Whatever it is, it won't stand in my way" said Starscream "Blast it down!" The Vehicons and other Decepticons aimed their weapons and shot at the dragon to no effect. "This is impossible!" The dragon roared and breathed fire towards them.

"Get down!" exclaimed Slipstream. The Decepticons all ducked down as the dragon breathed fire at them.

"Don't just stand there, fire again!" snapped Starscream.

"Are you mad?" said Slipstream "This thing can't be stopped by blasterfire. We have to retreat now"

"But then the Autobots will take possession of the ship!" snapped Starscream.

"If what the Vehicon said is true, we've already got ourselves a prisoner" said Slipstream "And have you ever known them to lie?" Starscream looked back and forth between her and the ship. "Listen, we'll figure out something; but first, we have to get out of here while we still can" Starscream growled.

"Soundwave, activate the ground bridge immediately" said Starscream into his comlink. A ground bridge appeared behind them. "All Decepticons, retreat back to the _Nemesis_ now!" The Decepticons turned around and ran back into the ground bridge. "This isn't over, Prime!" He and Slipstream transformed and flew off into the ground bridge.

"Well, that's one problem out of the way" said Jazz. The dragon turned to them and stomped over to them.

"Yeah, one problem" said Ironhide.

"Stand back, Autobots!" said Optimus. The dragon stopped in its tracks and sat down.

"What…just happened?" asked Ironhide.

"It's stopped" replied Optimus "Why?"

"Maybe he likes Autobots" said Jazz. Suddenly, the dragon vanished.

"Okay; is it just me or is everything just getting weirder?" said Bumblebee.

"Sorry" said a voice from the inside of the shuttle "I would've revealed myself earlier but then the Decepticons turned up and I had to think quickly and—"

"Freeze!" said Prowl whilst pointing his blasters at the entrance "Come out with your hands up and identify yourself"

"Okay, okay, easy" said the voice "I'm coming out now" A shadow with both arms up slowly walked out of the ship.

"What are you doing, Prowl?" asked Jazz "Not really welcoming"

"It's a precaution in case he's a hostile" replied Prowl.

"It's an Autobot ship" said Jazz whilst pointing to the Autobot insignia.

"That doesn't mean anything" said Prowl "For all we know, it could have been boarded by Decepticons in order to trick us"

"Still not easy on the whole circle of trust thing, huh?" said Jazz.

"I have no idea why you would think it had changed" said Prowl. Jazz frowned.

"Okay, I'm walking out now" said the voice "Stay calm…easy…" As the voice got closer, an army green Autobot with blue optics and a turret-like weapon overlooking his shoulder walked out of the entrance.

"Drop the weapon!" said Prowl.

"What weapon?" asked the Autobot.

"The turret on your back" replied Prowl "Take it off and slid it over"

"Huh?" said the Autobot "Oh, this thing! It's not a weapon; well, at least not directly"

"Then what is it?" asked Prowl.

"Well, allow me to show you" replied the Autobot. He pointed the turret over towards the Autobots and projected a hologram of Prowl who smiled and waved at them. The real Prowl cautiously walked up to it, turned his blasters back into his hands, and swiped his hand through the hologram.

"A hologram projector" said Prowl.

"A hologram gun" said the Autobot. Optimus walked up to the Autobot and noticed the Autobot insignia on him.

"You're an Autobot, just like us" said Optimus.

"Correct" said the "My name is Hound and that's no hologram. Wait a second…you're…you're Optimus Prime!"

"Come, we have much to discuss" said Optimus. He looked at the ship. "Autobots, excavate the ship. I want all of it back at the _Ark_ before the Decepticons can come back"

"All of it?" asked Ironhide.

"All of it" replied Optimus.

 _Meanwhile on the Nemesis_

"I can't believe we failed at this!" snapped Starscream.

"Sure, we're the ones to blame" said Dead End "You're the one who issued a retreat order, you realize that?"

"I wouldn't have needed to if we had just shot Jazz and got on with it" said Starscream.

"We're not to blame for that!" snapped Hailstorm.

"Neither am I!" snarled Starscream whilst eyeing Slipstream.

"And what is that supposed to imply?" asked Slipstream.

"Unless I'm much mistaken, you tried to reason with him when he wouldn't back down" said Starscream.

"I merely thought that it would be best to avoid unnecessary blasterfire to keep better track of our resources" said Slipstream "After all; we had come for the ship, not Autobots"

"And because of that, we find ourselves empty handed" said Starscream.

"Empty handed?" said Slipstream "What about the—"

"That's not what I was looking for!" snapped Starscream "And quite frankly, I find your reasoning to be…off"

"Excuse me?" asked Slipstream. Starscream smirked evilly.

"I think that there may have been a different reason" replied Starscream.

"What other reasons could I possibly have?" asked Slipstream.

"I know all about you and Jazz" replied Jazz. Slipstream clenched her teeth. "Perhaps you had a soft spot for the Autobot and just couldn't **bear** the thought of him dead"

"Quite it, Starscream!" snarled Slipstream.

"It would make perfect sense" said Starscream.

"I'm warning you!" snarled Slipstream.

"But this is something we have to discuss" said Starscream "After all; I need all of the Decepticons with their heads in the game. I can't just have my Decepticons going easy on Autobots because—" Suddenly, Slipstream grabbed him by the wrist.

"He's dead to me!" snapped Slipstream. She pushed Starscream away and stormed out of the room.

"Geez; females are erratic" said Starscream.

"What are we supposed to do now?" asked Thundercracker.

"Well, we have a prisoner" replied Starscream "That's a starting point"

 _Meanwhile at an unknown location_

"Easy…" said Scrapper as he used a torch to test Megatron's optics "Easy…" He turned the torch off. "…Your optic activity has progressed. That's good"

"But what of the rest of my body?" asked Megatron.

"That still requires some work" said Scrapper. Megatron clenched his teeth. "What you need to remember, my lord, is that this is a very difficult process; the slightest mistake could send us back to phase one" Megatron began to shake. "Oh dear! Try…try to relax"

"How can I relax when I am trapped here barely able to move while Starscream is out ruling everything that is rightfully mine!?" snarled Megatron

"Take it easy!" said Scrapper "Everything will be fine. I know things seem a little difficult at the moment; but now you're conscious, so that's a good sign"

"But I cannot walk!" snarled Megatron "I cannot transform! I cannot even raise a finger without putting full effort into it!"

"Now that's a part that needs improvement" said Scrapper "But we've fixed worse in the past. So don't worry, we'll get there eventually"

"That's not soon enough!" snarled Megatron.

"I know that you're tense at the moment, but don't worry; I have good news" said Scrapper. He got out a datapad and showed it to Megatron who read it.

"And how is supposed to make anything better?" snarled Megatron.

"Because I just heard some more recent news about it" replied Scrapper "Starscream failed to acquire it"

"Then did the Autobots?" asked Megatron.

"As far as we know, yes" replied Scrapper.

"Then that's hardly an improvement" said Megatron.

"Wait, wait; here's the best part" said Scrapper "Apparently, Starscream's forces have found themselves a hostage, an Autobot who was aboard the ship when it crashed. We'll just have to see how this all plays out" Megatron grinned evilly.

 _Meanwhile_

"Hmmm…" said Ratchet as he searched through the crashed ship which had been moved into the bridge of the _Ark_ "Hmmm…"

"What is it?" asked Prowl whilst walking over to Ratchet.

"Nothing" replied Ratchet "Just checking over the little details"

"We'll check the little details after we're done with the bigger ones" said Prowl. At that moment, Optimus entered.

"Have you found anything?" asked Optimus.

"Nothing significant" replied Prowl "And I have a feeling that this is going to be a long search. Perhaps our guest could shed a little light on the matter. Where is Hound?"

"He's just outside the mountain" replied Optimus "He said he wanted to have a look around of the terrain"

"Wait, does he have a new alternative mode?" asked Prowl "Wait, never mind; he can't go out at all" He turned to leave when Optimus grabbed him by the wrist.

"Prowl; Hound is our guest, not our prisoner" said Optimus.

"I know that" said Prowl whilst pulling himself free "But this applies to all of us; if any of us hang around in robot mode outside the _Ark_ , we could attract Decepticon attention. And that's something I can't allow"

 _Meanwhile_

Hound looked up at the mountain, clung onto the ledges, and began climbing. He never looked back until he reached the top. He looked out as the sun set over the horizon.

"Woah!" said Hound.

"Hound!" said a voice. Hound looked down and saw Prowl looking up at him from the ground. "Hound, get down from there!" Hound turned around and disappeared. Prowl sighed. "You just had to make it more difficult, didn't you?" He grabbed onto the side of the mountain and climbed up until reaching the top. "Prowl, come back down"

"It's just…I've never seen a planet like this before" said Hound "Some of it's like Cybertron and yet some of it's completely different. Is the entire planet like this?"

"Not exactly" replied Prowl "This planet has lots of environments on this planet"

"I really want to see more of it" said Hound.

"You can do that later once you've got a new alternative mode" said Prowl "But right now we've got questions for you" He grabbed onto Hound's arm. "C'mon" He turned to the ledge but almost fell off it and sighed. "Ratchet, activate a round bridge"

 _Later_

Optimus, Prowl, Ratchet, and Hound stood aboard the ship.

"So let me get this straight; you were sent off by the Autobot Ministry of Science to protect a special device from the Decepticons?" said Prowl.

"That's right" replied Hound "The Ministry of Science had developed an experimental cloaking device that could hide from pretty much anything"

"I've seen plenty of cloaking devices in my day; what's so special about this one?" asked Ratchet.

"Most cloaking devices are placed upon ships and other vehicles; but this one could be placed upon an individual transformer, enabling them to get past all manner of defenses" said Hound.

"Or use it to form a sneak attack unlike any other" said Prowl "So that's why it was sent offworld; to protect it from Megatron's forces"

"That's right" said Hound "We were meant to go to a certain rendezvous point but—"

"We?" said Prowl "Who was the other occupant of the ship?"

"My partner—Mirage" replied Hound "He felt conflicted about leaving Cybertron, but we assured him that we would return nonetheless. Anyways; we were meant to reach the rendezvous point on a base in another solar system for further studies when we were knocked off course and, after a long travel, eventually wound up here"

"That must be what the Decepticons were looking for" said Optimus "Tell me, where do you keep the cloaking device?"

"Just down the hallway here in a secured vault" replied Hound "Here, I'll show you" He brought the three of them to a large vault door where he placed a code on a keypad and opened it. In the center of the vault was a metal container. "Here it is"

"It seems secure enough" said Ratchet.

"What do you make of this, Prowl?" asked Optimus. There was no response. "Prowl?" He, Ratchet, and Hound turned around to see Prowl examining the vault door.

"What are you doing?" asked Hound.

"There's no sign of blasterfire or explosives on the door" replied Prowl "Neither is there any sign of hacking on the keypad. The Decepticons never got this far"

"I made sure work of that" said Hound.

"But that's not all" said Prowl "Not all of the bases are covered. Before you stepped in, I overheard a conversation between Starscream and a Vehicon"

"What did they talk about?" asked Optimus.

"Apparently the Decepticons have captured themselves a prisoner" replied Prowl "I've checked over and everyone who was present for that battle are present, including Hound and the Humans. Given all that and everything else we know, it leads to only one thing"

"Oh dear!" said Hound.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream entered a cell where a blue and white Autobot with blue eyes was being held by a containment field.

"Oh yes!" smirked Starscream. He walked up to the Autobot. "Hello Mirage"

"What do you want, Starscream?" asked Mirage.

"Oh, nothing" replied Starscream "Just the experimental cloaking device that you were sent off with during the final days of Cybertron"

"How do you know of that?" said Mirage "It was classified Autobot information; no Decepticon should know of it"

"That's the problem with classified information; it gets found out eventually" said Starscream "Now, where is it?"

"I have no idea where it is" replied Mirage.

"Why don't I believe you?" said Starscream.

"Nobody ever does" said Mirage.

"Alright then" said Starscream "Allow me to put it this way; either tell me where you have hidden the cloaking device onboard your ship now and directly or…" He lifted up a cortical psychic patch with his fingers. "…we switch to more controversial methods of information extraction"

"You wouldn't dare!" said Mirage "You should know as well as I that's as dangerous to the user as it is for the one it's being used on"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" said Starscream "You see; ever since we identified your craft upon planet fall, I've been a little obsessed with it. The thought of an army of elite killers armed with an almost flawless cloaking device is just too great an opportunity to throw away. Now, I'm going to ask you again for one last time; tell me where it is or I'll take it out of you myself!"

"Lord Starscream, I have received a message from our Vehicon patrol" said Soundwave as he entered "The crashed ship has vanished without a trace"

"What!?" snarled Starscream "Prime! He was prepared for this!" His frown quickly turned into a grin. "Yes…Yes, this could work"

"Explain" said Soundwave.

"If Prime has access to the ship, no doubt he has access to the cloaking device; whether he knows it or not" said Starscream "And there's nothing that would simply make him give such a powerful game changer to us. Except one thing"

"And what is that?" asked Soundwave.

"An Autobot life, of course" replied Starscream "He just can't sacrifice one for the sake of a planet. We'll organize a meeting with him; the cloaking device for our prisoner, he won't say no to it. And once we have what we need, we'll blow all of them into oblivion! Congratulations, Mirage; you've just been promoted to bargaining chip"

 _Later_

"Prime, are you there?" asked Bluestone who appeared on Teletraan I.

"I am present, Agent Bluestone" replied Optimus "What is the problem?"

"Cons have just gone and attacked a military base" replied Bluestone.

"Can you describe their patterns?" asked Prowl.

"Define patterns?" asked Bluestone.

"As in attack patterns" replied Prowl "Are they looking for something, are they attacking a particular building, etc."

"There isn't any that I can make out" said Bluestone "They just appear to be attacking randomly"

"That's not good" said Prowl "Without any visible attack patterns, then we'll have to assume one thing; Starscream's trying to lure us out into the open"

"Perhaps" said Optimus "But we cannot allow any Human to come to harm. Transmit the coordinates to us, Agent Bluestone"

"Already on it" said Bluestone.

"Assemble everyone" said Optimus "We'll roll out shortly"

 _A few minutes later_

As the Decepticons attacked the military base, a ground bridge opened up and the Autobots drove through it and transformed.

"Whatever you're doing, we will—" said Optimus shortly before the Decepticons caught sight of them, transformed, and ran away.

"Well; Starscream may be luring us into something, but I was expecting something with a little more…action" said Ironhide.

"You want action, Autobots?" asked a voice. They all looked up to see Starscream standing on top of a building. "Then why don't you take this!" He threw a small object at them, transformed, and flew off.

"Watch out!" said Optimus as the object landed at their feet with no effect.

"Huh; I was expecting something with a little more…well, bang" said Ironhide "Let me have a closer look—"

"Careful; if it is a bomb, it could be proximity triggered" said Prowl.

"If it is a bomb at all" said Prowl.

"That's a risk we can't take just yet" said Prowl "We'll have to examine it first to determine what it is exactl—" At that moment, Breakaway walked over to the object. "Breakaway, stop!" Breakaway picked up the object. "Breakaway!" Breakaway held up the object.

"It's just a datapad" said Breakaway.

 _Later_

"I don't understand" said Prowl "Starscream set this whole thing up just to deliver a datapad to us?"

"There must be something on it of great importance" said Optimus. He reached for datapad.

"Hold on; it could be an explosive" said Prowl "Do you want to risk reducing the whole mountain to rubble?"

"I don't think that Starscream would have gone through all of this today just to destroy the _Ark_ like this" said Optimus "There's something else" He picked up the datapad and turned it on to reveal a recording of Starscream standing in front of Mirage (who had a bag over his head).

"Greetings Optimus Prime" said Starscream "As you can see here; I have a hostage with me. Let's see who it is!" He pulled the bag off of Mirage's head to reveal his face and a gag over his mouth to prevent him talking.

"That's Mirage!" said Hound as his attention was immediately drawn in.

"If my files serve me correctly, this is none other than Autobot spy Mirage who was sent off in that crashed Autobot ship we fought over earlier" said Starscream as he got out an energy prod "Now; to give him the standard prisoner procedure!" He continuously zapped Mirage with the prod who screamed painfully (unable to speak anything else due to the gag over his mouth). "Now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to business. Prime, I know that you can't resist the painful cries of an Autobot and you certainly cannot resist me; so I will give you this one chance. We'll meet tomorrow night for a little trade; your Autobot for the cloaking device. In the end, we'll both get something we want. We'll be there in full force, so don't try anything sneaky. Now; the Humans call the time 10:00 PM, so I'm sure you can make it. If not, then we'll just kill him on the spot and leave his body for you to find in the morning. Coordinates will follow. Oh; and one last thing to show that I'm serious about this…" He stabbed Mirage in the side with the energon prod. The video ended and showed the coordinates for the meeting.

"Hound, can you retrieve the cloaking device?" asked Optimus.

"Sure can" replied Hound. He ran back into the ship.

"Wait, you're not seriously going to go along with it?" asked Prowl.

"An Autobot's life is in danger" replied Optimus "We have no—"

"There's always a choice" said Prowl "And I'm not sure if the one you're making is the right one"

"Here it is" said Hound as he walked out of the ship with the metal container "What are you two talking about?"

"Optimus wants to hand the cloaking device over to Starscream" replied Prowl "This is a foolish mistake"

"Foolish mistake?" said Hound "You heard them, Prowl; if we don't hand this over, they'll kill Mirage"

"I understand that you'd be conflicted about this, but try to focus on what's more important" said Prowl "Mirage may be your partner; but if this falls into the hands of the Decepticons, we're all done for. You should know that better than the rest of us"

"Believe me, I understand it" said Hound "The ministry made sure I did. But…but we could figure something out"

"You heard Starscream, they'll be out in full force tomorrow night" said Prowl "With all those prying optics, you'd have to have a very, very well thought out strategy to make sure none of us get killed"

"Enough" said Optimus "I cannot allow the Decepticons to receive something that could destroy us, but neither can I sacrifice any of us" Hound looking at the lock on the metal container.

"And that's not the worst part" said Prowl "If we do go along with it, do you really expect Starscream to be fair on his end of the deal?" Hound typed the code into the lock. "They outgun all of—" As Hound opened the container, a shocked look befell on his face.

"Which is something we have to consider further" said Optimus.

"Hey guys, I think we do have to come up with a strategy after all" said Hound. He turned the container around to reveal that it was empty.

"This can't be!" said Prowl as he ran up to the container to look at it "You're telling me that it was empty this whole time?!"

"Not at all" replied Hound "Mirage and I checked it over various times the past years and there's no way it could have been stolen; the only time I didn't check it was just before and just after the attack. Like you said, the vault suffered no damage"

"And if the Decepticons had the device, they wouldn't go to this sort of trouble" said Prowl. Optimus stroked his chin. "Where could it be?"

"I think I may have an idea of what happened" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

"I've got news on the cloaking device front" said Scrapper "Starscream is going to organize a trade between him and Prime"

"What are they exchanging?" asked Megatron.

"Optimus has the cloaking device and Starscream has an Autobot prisoner" replied Scrapper "And I'm sure Starscream's planning on taking much more than that from them"

"Prime always was weak-willed when it came to the lives of his men" said Megatron "He never could sacrifice any of them, not even for victory" Scrapper scratched his chin.

"You know; this cloaking device is a prototype, meaning that there's probably no other of its kind out there" said Scrapper "And it's not too late to install something new into your system" Megatron grinned evilly.

"I like what you are implying" said Megatron "But how are we supposed to retrieve it?"

"With a plan" said Scrapper. Lon Haul and Bonecrusher entered the room. Scrapper got out a remote and pressed it, turning Long Haul yellow and Bonecrusher forest green.

 _The next night_

Starscream waited out in a clearing with the other Decepticons and many Vehicons behind them. Mirage lay at his feet with a bag over his head again. Starscream let out a moke yawn.

"It's getting real late" said Starscream "And when I get tired, my concentration just begins to slip. You know; the moment it goes past 10 without the Autobots present, you're scrap metal"

"Starscream" said Optimus as he and the others turned up.

"Optimus Prime, good to know you're an honorable figure" smirked Starscream.

"Like you know anything about honor, Starscream" said Jazz.

"And you've brought a new face" said Starscream "Hound, isn't it? I read a report. It's so strange for a simple scout to go on a mission like that"

"Show us Mirage" said Optimus.

"Yes, of course" said Starscream. He pulled the bag off of Mirage's head, who was still gagged. "As you can see, we haven't mistreated him…much"

"Bring him over here" said Optimus.

"Of course" said Starscream "Once you deliver on your end first" Ironhide walked over with the container when the Vehicons raised their blasters at him. "Not another step"

"But how am I supposed to—" said Ironhide.

"Just place it on the ground in front of you" said Starscream. Ironhide reluctantly placed the container on the ground and walked back as a Vehicon ran up to it and pulled it back.

"You have what you asked for" said Optimus "Now give us what we asked for"

"Actually…no" said Starscream. A group of Vehicons ran up behind the Autobots and pointed their blasters at them. "You see, I have you all right where I want you; and I just can't let you go like this, it's a missed opportunity. It's ironic that I said that Mirage here would die when he's probably going to be the sole survivor"

"Told you they'd double-cross us" said Prowl quietly.

"Fire!" said Starscream. As the Vehicons opened fire, Optimus and the others ducked.

"Autobots, fight back!" said Optimus as his battle mask retracted over and he retracted out his blades.

 _Meanwhile_

As the battle ensured, Long Haul and Bonecrusher looked out at it on the top of a hill.

"Looks like the handover got violent" said Bonecrusher "Pity we can't stay for it"

"At least we're doing something that isn't some tedious heavy-lifting or whatever" said Long Haul "Now let's go in before we lose it" He transformed into a construction dump truck and drove down the hill with Bonecrusher transforming into a bulldozer and following him.

 _Meanwhile_

"You should have thought of a different plan, Optimus" said Prowl.

"Just wait, Prowl" said Optimus.

"Optimus, look out!" exclaimed Jazz. Starscream flew down, shot several rockets at Optimus, and rammed into him before transforming and punching him across the jaw.

"I thank you for going along with my plans, Prime" said Starscream "Now go along with one last thing; allow me to kill you!" He turned his hand into a null-ray and shot at Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

The Vehicon holding the container ran throughout the crowds, trying to avoid damage. At that moment, he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

"What the!?" exclaimed the Vehicon. He turned around to see Long Haul who punched him in the face and grabbed the container off of him.

"We've got it, let's go!" said Long Haul. He and Rampage turned and ran away from the battle. Slipstream noticed them.

"You two, stop!" said Slipstream. Long Haul and Bonecrusher didn't comply. "Two runners just got ahold of the cloaking device. I'll need some help taking them down" She transformed and flew after them.

 _Meanwhile_

Hailstorm grabbed ahold of both Bumblebee and Arcee and smashed them into the ground.

"Puny bugs!" said Hailstorm as he aimed his rocket launchers at them. Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the body of a dead Vehicon that was thrown at him. He turned to see that no one was present in the direction it had come from. "What was that supposed to—" Suddenly, he felt something land on top of his shoulders and pulled him back. "Hey!" He felt punches across his face continuously. "What is this!?" After countless more punches, he collapsed unconscious.

"Did he just get knocked out for no reason?" said Arcee.

"Sure looks like it" said Bumblebee. They looked out and noticed that various Vehicons on the battlefield started dropping dead with energon spilling from them.

"Woah!" said Ironhide as the Vehicon he was fighting collapsed dead.

"Maybe Optimus was right after all" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus fought Starscream across the battlefield.

"We could've ended this peacefully, Starscream" said Optimus.

"Where's the fun in that, Prime?" said Starscream as he shot at Optimus continuously.

"This war could have ended long ago if Megatron had complied with a peaceful resolution" said Optimus "If you want this war to change, then—"

"Spare the tedious speech about righteousness and whatnot" said Starscream "Meanwhile…" He transformed and flew up into the air where he swung back down and rammed Optimus into the chest. Optimus grabbed ahold of his wings and was dragged across the ground. "Alright, if that's the way you want to play…" He sped off at high speed and flew round and round the battlefield but Optimus held on tight. "Alright then!" Starscream lowered down and skimmed the ground even further until Optimus eventually rolled off. As he transformed and landed in front of Optimus, the Autobot began to pull himself up. "Oh no you don't!" He aimed both his rockets at Optimus and fired them. Optimus dodged the first rocket but took the second one headfirst and was sent flying back. Starscream walked up to him and looked over him triumphantly. "Pathetic!" He kicked Optimus across the face three times before turning his hand into his null-ray and charged it up. "And just to let you know; had you held back less in the past; this war would have ended long ago"

"Starscream!" snarled a voice. Starscream froze where he stood for a moment before turning around to see Megatron standing there.

"M-Megatron!" exclaimed Starscream "No, this can't be; you're-you're—"

"Dead?" said Megatron "No. I've been merely hiding, reevaluating; and now I have come back to take what is mine"

"Of-Of course, Lord Megatron" said Starscream. Megatron's attention was drawn to Optimus.

"What are you doing here?" asked Megatron as he walked over to Optimus.

"I was…I was about to kill Optimus Prime, my lord" said Starscream.

"No one kills Optimus Prime but me!" snarled Megatron "You of all Decepticons should know of that!"

"But, my lord; we all thought you were dead!" begged Starscream. As he got down onto his knees, he looked at Megatron up and down and felt that something was off.

"That does not matter!" snarled Megatron. Starscream stood up and smirked. "What are you doing?" Starscream didn't reply and instead just walked over to him. "How dare you—" Starscream walked straight through him. "What!?"

"I have to give you credit; using Megatron was much more convincing than that creature you unleashed on us earlier" said Starscream "But after reading your files, I was prepared this time around…Hound!"

"Oh no!" said Hound who was hiding behind a rock.

"I'll be sure to finish you off after I'm done with Prime!" said Starscream as he pointed his null-ray back towards Optimus. Suddenly, something leapt on him from behind and pulled him back. "By the AllSpark!" He felt and invisible blade pierce against his neck. Mirage materialized behind him with a pair of blades on his wrists. "You…you had the cloaking device this whole time!"

"If I told you, you would have ripped me open" said Mirage.

"Mirage!" said Hound. Optimus got himself up.

"Stop!" said Optimus "All of you, stop!" The attention of both the Autobots and the Decepticons were drawn over to them. "We have you're leader; cooperate with us, and both you and him will go free"

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream chased after Long Haul and Bonecrusher with the help of Blitzwing, Astrotrain, Barricade, and Dead End.

"We've almost got them!" said Slipstream "Full speed ahead!"

"We still can't shake these unwelcome visitors off our tails!" said Long Haul.

"Then let's ditch them!" said Bonecrusher "Call Scrapper for a ground bridge already!"

"Right, sure" said Long Haul "For some reason, I just forgot about it within all this madness"

"Just call him already!" snapped Bonecrusher.

"Hey Scrapper, we could really use a ground bridge right about now!" said Long Haul into his comlink.

"Just a moment while I find your positions" said Scrapper out of Long Haul's comlink.

"We've got you now!" said Slipstream. Suddenly, a ground bridge appeared and Long Haul and Bonecrusher ran through it. "No!" She dived down but arrived too late and the ground bridge vanished before she could even reach the ground. She transformed and kicked the ground furiously. "We almost had them!"

 _Meanwhile_

"See you on the other side, Mirage" said Hound as he walked through the ground bridge.

"I still think this is a bad idea" said Prowl quietly.

"We may have a hostage, but we're still vastly outnumbered" said Optimus quietly "We should avoid enraging them"

"Enraging them?" said Prowl quietly "Wouldn't taking down Starscream make them happy?" Starscream scoffed at that. Prowl walked through the ground bridge.

"Now, let him go" said Optimus. Mirage retracted his blades and kicked Starscream forward before turning with Optimus to walk through the portal.

"Attack now, while their backs are turned!" snarled Starscream. The Decepticons didn't comply. "Wait; you're just going to stand there and let it happen?! Fine then!" He turned both his hands into null-rays and fired at Optimus, who ducked from the shots and shot back with his ion blaster. Starscream was flown back shortly before the portal disappeared.

 _Meanwhile_

"Great to have you back, Mirage" said Hound as Optimus and Mirage entered the _Ark_ "I was real worried about you back there"

"There's still one thinking that's bothering me" said Prowl "How did you know that Mirage had the cloaking device?"

"Only he and Hound had access to it and the Decepticons never reached the vault, so it made sense that one of them had it" said Optimus "Since Hound didn't have it, I knew that Mirage did"

"I installed it into myself to protect from the Decepticons should they ever reach the vault" said Mirage "But I was never expecting to get captured the moment I planted it"

 _Later_

"This was your idea!" said Hailstorm.

"We got really humiliated back there" said Skywarp.

"You just had to get yourself captured, didn't you?" said Astrotrain.

"Honestly; had you just scanned Mirage to begin with, we might actually have that cloaking device" said Slipstream. As the Decepticons around him scoffed more and more, Starscream tuned it out briefly before clenching his teeth in frustration.

"Enough!" snapped Starscream "If you really thought it was a bad idea, then why didn't you speak up while you had the chance?" No one responded. "As I thought" He turned and left the bridge.

"The pressures of leadership sinking in?" said a voice. Starscream turned around to see Blackout standing in the hallway behind him.

"You're still here!?" snapped Starscream "Why can't you find some other Decepticons to usurp!?"

"I'd be respectful to your underlings" said Blackout "You don't want an unexpected mutiny, do you?"

"Like you'd know anything about that" said Starscream. As he turned and left, Blackout smiled.

"Poor choice of words" said Blackout.

 **Hellman76** : Metroplex and Trypticon will appear later on in the series.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : It's sad about what happened to Wally Burr, but at least he lived a good long life.

 **Martin** : To be honest, I've never actually watched _Rescue Bots_.


	19. The Initiative part 1

_The Ark_

A group of holographic Vehicons marched through the training room with their blasters at the ready.

"Search the area for any signs of Autobots" said the lead Vehicon "They can't hide forever" They continued on searching and spread across the room. Suddenly, one of them collapsed dead. It was soon followed by another one and another one until the only one left was the lead Vehicon. It didn't take long for the lead Vehicon to realize that something was going on. "What is happen—" Suddenly, it collapsed dead. Mirage appeared behind it and retracted his blades back in. It was then that he heard clapping. He turned around to see Wheeljack standing in the doorway.

"Amazing!" said Wheeljack "I heard about the prototype cloaking device back on Cybertron and it to see it fully working…it's truly breathtaking"

"You seem a bit too interested in it" said Mirage.

"Eh; it's an invention, and I love inventions" said Wheeljack "I'd love to have a look at it sometime"

"Where's Hound?" asked Mirage.

"Oh, he's just outside" said Wheeljack "He said he wanted to—" Mirage walked past him. "Well; if you ever want me to have a look at that device, don't be afraid to ask"

 _Meanwhile_

Hound strolled on the outside of the _Ark_ looking at the terrain around him. He heard tweeting as a small bird flew down and landed on his finger.

"Wow!" said Hound. The bird made one last tweet and flew off. "Amazing"

"Hound, I think you should get back inside" said Mirage as he approached Hound "Prowl told me about how we're a secret to the locals. Since we don't currently have vehicle forms for this planet, it'd be best to stay inside for the time being"

"We've been cooked up inside that starship for too long, Mirage" said Hound "This…This is a reward"

"What is?" asked Mirage.

"This planet" replied Hound.

"It's no Cybertron, that's for sure" said Mirage.

"I know, but I think that's what makes it so interesting" said Hound "It's like it has similarities to Cybertron; yet at the same time, it's completely different"

"I'm not sure if I like it" said Mirage "It all seems…so weird"

"You'll get used to it eventually" said Hound "They all did"

"But they've been stranded on this planet for years because their ship can't work anymore" said Mirage.

"Sure, but still" said Hound.

"I just…I just wish we were back on Cybertron where we belong" said Mirage.

"Cybertron's a barren wasteland" said Hound "And after what they told us about the AllSpark, it looks like it's going to remain that way for a long while. In the meantime, this is our home now"

"You say that as if it's a good thing" said Mirage.

"Why wouldn't it be?" said Hound.

"Let's just get back inside before someone sees you" said Mirage. Suddenly, a flaming helicopter swung down and crashed outside the mountain.

 **The Initiative pt. 1**

 _Outside the Ark_

Hound ran up to the crashed helicopter.

"By the AllSpark!" said Hound. He ripped the door off and found Agent Bluestone inside. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" asked Mirage. Hound reached in and gently pulled Bluestone out.

"We have to get him inside now" said Hound.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl sat cross-legged outside Airachnid's cell when Jazz walked up to him.

"Still waiting it out, huh?" said Jazz.

"My old master taught me patient long ago" said Prowl "It' the best tactic you can have for situations like this"

"I still don't get it" said Jazz "You're telling me she hasn't said anything since being captured?"

"Not even a sigh" replied Prowl.

"She ain't being her usual chatty self then" said Jazz "There's not even been a slight quip or anything like that?"

"I think she's trying to wear our patience thin" said Prowl.

"And what good would that accomplish her?" asked Jazz.

"Something" said Prowl "Whatever it is, we'll wait it out better" At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee walked past them who were linked in arms.

"So I was thinking, perhaps the drive-in tonight" said Bumblebee.

"Define the drive-in" said Arcee.

"It's like the movie pictures that Humans go to except it's outside so they take their cars and other vehicles to watch it" said Bumblebee.

"Sounds cool" said Arcee.

"Young love, it burns so bright" said Prowl once the two of them had left.

"How long did you know those two were a couple?" asked Jazz.

"I think I knew long before they did" replied Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Ratchet was doing some work at Teletraan I.

"There, that should do it" said Ratchet whilst closing the lid over. At that moment, Hound and Mirage ran up to him.

"Ratchet, we've got a problem" said Hound. Ratchet took one look at Bluestone and sighed.

"Oh no!" said Ratchet. He gently picked up Bluestone's unconscious body. "What's happened to Agent Bluestone this time?"

"He was in a helicopter when it crashed" replied Hound.

"Is the helicopter still around?" asked Ratchet.

"Yeah, it's still outside" replied Hound.

"Go fetch it" said Ratchet "Call for a ground bridge when you find it"

"Got it" said Hound "C'mon, Mirage; let's pull it back in" He and Mirage left the bridge.

"Wheeljack, are you free?" asked Ratchet into Teletraan I.

"Depends on what you want me to do" replied Wheeljack through Teletraan I.

"I need help examining a crashed vehicle" said Ratchet "Do you think you could help with that?"

"Does one ring rule them all?" replied Wheeljack.

 _Later_

Bulkhead drove in, opened his door to let Melody, Bobby, and Kate out, and transformed.

"Thanks for stepping in, Bulkhead" said Melody "But I still kind of miss Bumblebee and Arcee. Do you have any ideas why they aren't coming to pick-ups anymore?"

"I told you, they're busy" replied Bulkhead "That's all they'd tell me"

"Right, busy" said Melody "What's up there?" Bluestone lay on a stretcher up on a platform.

"I'll go check" said Bulkhead. He walked over to the platform to look at Bluestone. "Looks like Agent Bluestone got beat up pretty bad"

"Who's Agent Bluestone?" asked Bobby.

"He's sort of like the Autobots government liaison" replied Melody "He informs them of current events and stuff like that. He doesn't come around here often so that's probably why you haven't seen him"

"I wonder what happened to him?" said Bulkhead whilst looking at Bluestone closer.

"Eh, watch it!" said Ratchet whilst running out.

"I didn't do anything!" said Bulkhead whilst backing off.

"It's best if he's not disturbed" said Ratchet.

"So what happened to him?" asked Melody.

"Hound found him in a small helicopter crash" replied Ratchet "There's nothing that's too broken, but he needs rest. And it might be best if you three are not present when he wakes up"

"He already knows about me, we'd just have to explain to him about how there's more of us this time" said Melody.

"You say that as if it'll easy" said Ratchet. He turned over to the remains of the helicopter which Wheeljack was looking over. "Have you found anything?"

"It was shot down alright" replied Wheeljack "From the looks of it, it managed to hold out long enough to escape the attackers; but time really took its toll"

"What else have you found?" asked Ratchet.

"Well, there are these" replied Wheeljack whilst extending his palm out to show a group of bullets in his hand.

"Are those bullets?" asked Ratchet.

"Correct" replied Wheeljack "They were riddled all over the chopper"

"This makes no sense" said Ratchet "Why would the Decepticons use bullets when we already use blasters?"

"Two thoughts come to mind" replied Wheeljack "Either they're trying to cover their tracks for some reason, or perhaps they're not Decepticons at all"

"If they're not Decepticons, then what could they be?" asked Ratchet.

"Best to ask him when he wakes up" replied Wheeljack.

 _Meanwhile in New Mexico_

Thundercracker and Skywarp overlooked the Vehicons mining for energon.

"Another energon mine" said Skywarp "Things are getting boring"

"Praise this interval while it lasts" said Thundercracker "The Autobots will come back eventually to ruin our operations again. Now mind this side while I check the other side"

"Sure…" said Skywarp in a bored fashion. Thundercracker frowned and stomped off.

"Out of all the Seekers Megatron could have chosen to take with him on this mission, he chose that loud mouth" groaned Thundercracker "I would've settled for some Conehead or even that showy Sunstorm, but he chose Skywarp; the one among us who had absolutely no Seeker material to him. Woah!" He was suddenly grabbed by the back of the neck and was punched unconscious before he could even react.

 _A few minutes later_

As Thundercracker slowly regained consciousness, he found that he was being dragged along the ground by his foot.

"Eh!" said Thundercracker "What do you think you're—" He was flung across the ground and banged headfirst into a tree. "Who do you think you—" As he regained his sight, he realized that it was Grimlock who had captured him. "Oh no! It's you!"

"You're real bright, aren't you?" said Grimlock sarcastically. Thundercracker quickly noticed the sky behind Grimlock and transformed to fly off. "I don't think so!" Before Thundercracker could fly away, Grimlock grabbed him by both wings and pulled him back.

"Get off!" said Thundercracker "Get off!" Grimlock placed his foot on him and ripped both of his wings off. Thundercracker landed back onto the ground and transformed before Grimlock grabbed him by the neck again and threw him back into the tree.

"Now have I got your attention?" said Grimlock.

"It's-It's true what they saw about you!" said Thundercracker "You're an animal!"

"Time to live up to my reputation!" said Grimlock as he walked over to Thundercracker and placed his hand on his throat.

"What do you want with me?" said Thundercracker.

"It's simple" said Grimlock "I want you to open a ground bridge directly to the _Nemesis_ "

"You-You can't be serious!" said Thundercracker "There's no way on Cybertron or Earth that I'm doing that!"

"I thought that you were the one who wasn't keen on the Decepticon cause" said Grimlock.

"Just because I'm not fond of this war, especially the way that Starscream is managing it, doesn't mean that I'm going to sell us out" said Thundercracker "Starscream will punish me for it"

"If you think what Starscream would have in store for you is painful then you don't know the meaning of the word" said Grimlock.

"What else could you do to me?" said Thundercracker "You've already taken my wings off"

"Poor choice of words!" said Grimlock. He instantly grabbed Thundercracker's arm and pulled it behind his back.

"Wait, what are you doing?" said Thundercracker "Oh no; you can't be s—" With an earsplitting crack, Grimlock broke his arm at the joint. "AH!"

"I don't have to kill you to make you feel pain" said Grimlock "In fact, it's much worse. If you keep denying my orders, I'll keep breaking you more and more until you're nothing more than a crippled mess that barely has the strength to even move. You'll be alive, but you'll wish you weren't"

"Okay, okay!" said Thundercracker "I'll call, I'll call!"

"That's better" said Grimlock.

"Not that It'll do you any good" said Thundercracker "The ship's filled with Decepticons and there's no way that even you could fight them a—" Grimlock punched him at the back of the head.

"I'll take my chances" said Grimlock.

 _Meanwhile_

Agent Bluestone burst awake and slowly got himself up once he'd calm himself down. He briefly scratched the back of his bandaged head before feeling his front for himself. He looked to his side to see that his coat was lying on the bench next to him. He instantly reached for it but held his side in a pain immediately.

"Careful, you don't want to hurt yourself even more" said Ratchet.

"What…What happened?" asked Bluestone.

"We found you within the remains of a crashed helicopter" said Optimus "If it weren't for Hound and Mirage, you'd probably be dead"

"Ah, so you're the two new recruits that I've heard so much about" said Bluestone "Welcome aboard, we could use more Autobot hands"

"I wouldn't exactly call us recruits" said Mirage. Bluestone turned over and saw Melody, Bobby, and Kate standing next to his stretcher. Melody waved nonchalantly.

"And it looks like you're not the only new faces around here" said Bluestone "When were you going to tell me about this?"

"When it came up" said Jazz "Which it didn't, it turns out"

"Not your best reason" said Ironhide. Bluestone sighed.

"Times like this, I wonder why we're not public yet" said Bluestone.

"Did you see who shot you down?" asked Optimus.

"I got a brief glimpse" replied Bluestone "It was a helicopter. It ambushed me and tried to take me down. I was able to outrun it and escape but got shot down in the process. Do you think the Cons are involved?"

"We're unsure but we're not ruling that out as a possibility" replied Optimus "But for what reasons would they target you for?"

"I think I might have some idea" replied Bluestone "Hand me my coat" Ratchet carefully picked up the jacket and handed it to Bluestone who got out a flash drive. "This flash drive contains some of the most covert US Government information that I have access to, including everything we know about your kind"

"And why would you keep tabs on that?" asked Prowl.

"We keep tabs on everything" replied Bluestone "It's to be certain on things"

"What kind of things?" asked Ironhide.

"Listen; I don't want descent, but we can't take risks" said Bluestone.

"Or perhaps you don't trust us!" said Ironhide "Does any of that drive contain anything on our weaknesses?"

"Woah; easy, Ironhide!" said Breakaway who walked between them "I think they just want to feel secure and having easy access to the information they know about you helps them"

"Breakaway is right" said Optimus "The thought of distrust is unsettling but understandable"

"We wouldn't turn on you, Optimus" said Bluestone "Without you; the Decepticons would only get worst"

"Agreed" said Optimus "Which is why we will respect this decision"

"With that in mind, I'd better get back to the outpost I was heading for" said Bluestone whilst placing the flash drive back into his coat "Just because I don't have a vehicle anymore doesn't mean I give up" He was about to pull his coat on when he clutched himself in pain again.

"Easy" said Ratchet "You just had an accident, it would be unwise to go out without recuperating first"

"Easy for you to say" said Bluestone "I've got a schedule to make"

"It can wait" said Ratchet "You're recovery cannot however"

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

Scrapper entered Flatline's lab and crept in cautiously. He walked up to the lab bench and examined it carefully.

"Scrapper, where are you?" asked Hightower through Scrapper's comlink "I haven't seen you all day"

"Try to be quiet" said Scrapper quietly into his comlink "I'm in Flatline's lab"

"What are you doing in there?" asked Hightower.

"I'm trying to find something that can help us open the container" replied Scrapper.

"I thought you would've had Bonecrusher rip it open now" said Hightower with disdain "You know how our lord hates to left waiting" At that moment, the lab door opened.

"Quiet, someone's coming" said Scrapper quietly whilst hiding behind the lab bench. Runabout and Runamuck entered.

"This is not what I signed on for!" snarled Runabout "When that big red-eyed punk approached us about it, I thought we were going to be involved in big scale shootouts, not guard duty!"

"Why do we even need to do this, anyway?" said Runamuck "It's not like we ever leave the base anyway; heck, I don't even know where we are so how should the Autobots know? What is this place?"

"Just Flatline's lab" replied Runabout "He makes weapons and gadgets for the big man. Better to skip it, he'll go spastic when if he finds us in here" The two turned around and left.

"That was a close one" said Scrapper quietly.

"Who was that?" asked Hightower.

"Just a couple of new recruits that Crankcase found about a day or so ago" said Scrapper quietly "Runabout and Runamuck, a couple of shock troopers; they're really into causing destruction. They call themselves the Battlechargers" He resumed searching the lab bench.

"So what's the difference between them and the typical Decepticon soldier?" asked Hightower.

"When I say they like to cause destruction more so than the average Decepticon" replied Scrapper quietly.

"Anyways, you were saying before you unexpectedly interrupted?" asked Hightower.

"Huh?" said Scrapper quietly.

"You were looking for something that could help you open the container" replied Hightower "Why would you be looking there if you could easily open without a gadget?"

"The cloaking device is delicate and I have to avoid damage to it in order for it to work properly" replied Scrapper quietly "There's a keypad on it to help open it properly; but without the code, it's useless. However, I know that Flatline keeps a keypad hacker around here somewhere that should do the trick. I just need to…ah, here it is!" He pulled out a small square-like device.

"Found it?" asked Hightower.

"Found it" replied Scrapper quietly "Now I just need to get it back to get out of here" He snuck out of the lab and into a small room where he kept the container. He placed the hacker onto the keypad and it began processing. "The moment has finally arrived" The hacker beeped to show that it was done and the container released. Scrapper opened up the container and look of shock befell his face. "Oh no!"

 _Meanwhile_

"No go out there and call for it" said Grimlock whilst Thundercracker out into the open.

"Okay okay!" said Thundercracker "This is Thundercracker, I require a ground bridge back to the _Nemesis_ "

"For what purpose do you require it for?" asked Soundwave. Thundercracker looked back at Grimlock who clenched his sharp teeth.

"I have been damaged and require repairs" replied Thundercracker.

"Locating your position" said Soundwave "Activating ground bridge now" A ground bridge appeared in front of them. "You may enter now" Grimlock walked over to Thundercracker and patted him on the shoulder.

"Good job" said Grimlock. He then grabbed Thundercracker y the back on the head and slammed his head down onto his knee, knocking him unconscious. Grimlock then gave his neck a crack and pulled out his sword. "Time to go to work!" He ran into the portal and was instantly transported to the _Nemesis_.

"What the!?" exclaimed a Vehicon.

"Fire!" said another Vehicon. With a quick swish, Grimlock sliced both of them down.

"Pathetic!" said Grimlock. He ran forward unaware that he was being watched by a security camera.

 _Meanwhile in the security room_

Soundwave watched Grimlock with the security cameras.

"Starscream, we have a disturbance" said Soundwave into his comlink.

 _Meanwhile in the bridge_

"Grimlock has boarded the ship and is rampaging his way towards the bridge" said Soundwave through Starscream's comlink.

"Grimlock?" said Slipstream "How did he get onboard?"

"It doesn't matter" said Starscream "It's the perfect opportunity to capture him and place him with the others. Soundwave, inform the rest of the ship of Grimlock's presence; tell them to capture him alive and unharmed"

"As you command" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

As Grimlock ran down the hall, he heard Soundwave talking from the intercom which he stopped to hear.

"Attention, all Decepticons" said Soundwave through the intercom "The Autobot Grimlock has been spotted down the hallways on the left side of the ship. He is to captured and detained with minimal damage. No exceptions"

"Shoot!" said Grimlock before running off again.

 _Meanwhile in Utah_

A ground bridge opened up several meters away from a military base and Bluestone stepped through it.

"Just a last minute checkup, are you sure you're fine with this?" asked Ratchet through his comlink "If you're still feeling unwell, you could stay at the _Ark_ for a little longer"

"Relax, Ratchet" replied Bluestone into his comlink "I'm sure I can make it, and I need to get this to the base as soon as possible"

"Understood" said Ratchet "But if you ever need—"

"Don't worry, they've got medical facilities here" said Bluestone "I'll be fine" He stepped forward but accidently bumped into a soldier who was walking by.

"Oh sorry!" said the soldier.

"That's alright, that's alright" said Bluestone.

"Wait; are you Special Agent James Bluestone?" asked the soldier.

"I am" replied Bluestone.

"The lieutenant said you were coming today but he didn't say why" said the soldier.

"I'm afraid the reason why is classified" said Bluestone "Now, it was a pleasure meeting you, soldier; but I'm afraid I have business to attend to"

"I understand" said the soldier. As Bluestone turned to leave, the soldier knocked him out with his rifle and pulled out a walkie-talkie to talk into. "I've got Bluestone; now get over here before they notice me. Looks like it wasn't a dead end after all"

 _A few minutes later_

A group of cars of unspecified design (due to multiple modifications) pulled up at the military base. The soldier (with the unconscious Bluestone over his shoulder) walked over to one of them, opened the door, and got in.

"I was expecting a helicopter or something" said the soldier.

"Too obvious" said the driver (a man dressed in black with a black mask which covered his whole face) "If they spotted you, they'd shoot us down"

"No one saw me, I swear" said the soldier.

"That's good" said the driver "Besides; this way, they won't know which one holds him if they saw us. Now to contact the big boss" He pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Squad #1 to Karaz, come in"

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

A man with fair skin, black hair, and a scar over his left eye who wore a dark trench coat and grey turtleneck sat at a desk and received the call through his phone.

"I hear you" said Karaz (the man) "What do you have to report?"

"We've successfully captured Special Agent Bluestone per your ordered" replied the driver through the phone "It turns out he survived that helicopter crash after all"

"Does he have the file I want?" asked Karaz.

 _Meanwhile_

"Just a second" replied the driver "Check for the flash drive" The soldier examined Bluestone until eventually pulling out the flash drive and holding it up. "Got it"

 _Meanwhile_

"Good work" said Karaz "Now head back to base immediately, and make sure you're not followed"

"And what of Bluestone?" asked the driver.

"Keep him alive for now" replied Karaz "We may have use for him"

"Understood" said the driver.

 _Meanwhile_

"Optimus, assemble everyone" said Prowl as he entered with a datapad "We've got a new mission"

"What is it, Prowl?" asked Optimus.

"Bluestone's been captured" replied Prowl "We've got to move quickly if we want to rescue him"

"How do you know that?" asked Ratchet. Prowl sighed.

"While he was out, I implanted a tracking device within his comm" replied Prowl whilst showing them the datapad "He's going in the opposite direction of the base at an alarming speed before he even entered the base itself. Ever heard of an exchange that happened at the edge of a base? He's been captured"

"Why would you do that?" asked Ironhide.

"What do you mean?" asked Prowl.

"Bug him" replied Ironhide.

"After the Bludgeon incident, I'm not taking chances" said Prowl.

"Seriously, that's all you took from it?" said Jazz.

"What else would I take from it?" asked Prowl "Now let's go"

 _Meanwhile_

Scrapper entered Megatron's room with the container.

"Scrapper, you've returned" said Megatron.

"My lord, I trust that Hightower and Mixmaster have been treating you well" said Scrapper.

"I'm gaining more mobility in this arm" said Megatron whilst lifting up his arm and moving it around somewhat "Hightower told me about your more delicate attempts to open the container. I trust there's been success"

"Well…yes and no" said Scrapper.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Megatron.

"Well…" said Scrapper.

"Please, come in closer" said Megatron. Scrapper gulped and stepped in closer to Megatron cautiously.

"The…The good news is that I was able to open the container safely without external or internal damage" replied Scrapper.

"And the bad news?" asked Megatron.

"The bad news is…" replied Scrapper whilst opening the container to reveal nothing inside "…it's not here" Megatron clenched his teeth and grabbed Scrapper by the throat.

"No!" exclaimed Mixmaster as he and Hightower stepped back in shock.

"Megatron…" begged Scrapper "…please!"

"You've wasted my whole time on this useless chase!" snarled Megatron "You've halted certain parts of my operation to include this device, thus postposing my return!"

"Megatron, I beg you!" begged Scrapper "I am of more value to you alive!"

"That you are" said Megatron whilst releasing Scrapper and letting him gasp on the floor "Which is why you're going to headline a new task; one which is a better use of our time. In a way, it's fortunate that this cloaking device issue was swept out of the way, giving us better focus on something actually important"

"And what would that be?" asked Scrapper.

"Build me a communication array that can reach Cybertron" replied Megatron.

 _Meanwhile_

"Got a close position" said Ratchet "I'll make sure that it's far enough that they won't immediately notice you. Better hurry before they move further off"

"Understood" said Optimus "Open the ground bridge" Ratchet nodded and activated the ground bridge. "Autobots, roll out!" He ran towards the ground bridge and transformed with the other Autobots following suit. Hound and Mirage were about to follow them when Ratchet stopped them.

"You two better stay back" said Ratchet "Without an Earth alternative mode, going outside is too risky"

"But Optimus needs all of us" said Hound.

"I'm not denying that" said Ratchet. He turned over to Teletraan I and brought up the designs to various vehicles. "Which is why we're going to choose your alternative modes now"

 _Meanwhile_

"We're almost out of the state, and then we'll be home free" said the driver.

"Car #1, pick up; we've got a situation" said a commando from his walkie-talkie.

"Roger" responded the driver into his walkie-talkie "Explain the situation"

"We've got multiple vehicles inbound" replied the commando "They're on our tail"

"Describe them" said the driver.

"One motorcycle, three civilian cars, one police car, one pickup truck, one all-terrain truck, one semi-truck, and one fighter jet" said the commando.

"Increase speed" said the driver "I'll try to call Karaz for air support. If the vehicles show hostile intent, shoot them down"

"Understood" said the commando.

"What do you think this means?" asked the soldier.

"It means that Karaz's partner was right" replied the driver.

 _Meanwhile_

"I don't think I've ever seen Vehicons like this before" said Jazz.

"Perhaps they're a new model which the Decepticons are testing out" said Prowl.

"I'm not sure these are Decepticons" said Jazz.

"What makes you say that?" asked Prowl.

"If this drive is so important, wouldn't they have just ground bridged out by now?" said Jazz.

"If they're not Decepticons, then what are they?" said Prowl "Who else would target Agent Bluestone?"

"Let's not worry about that now" said Optimus "We have to rescue him first. Ratchet, can you identify which car has Agent Bluestone?"

 _Meanwhile_

Ratchet looked through the various vehicle designs.

"Ratchet?" said Optimus through Teletraan I.

"Huh; oh, sorry!" said Ratchet into Teletraan I. He brought up the tracking device's signal onto Teletraan I. "He's at the very center. Try to be cautious"

 _Meanwhile_

"Autobots, the car that holds Agent Bluestone is at the very center" said Optimus "We have to be cautious to retrieve him. Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead; take the left side. Jazz, Prowl, Wheeljack; take the right side. Ironhide and I will stay here" The Autobots moved into their positions. "Breakaway, try to stay at the center of the vehicles but keep your distance"

"Understood, Optimus" said Breakaway. He flew over into his position.

"What's next, Optimus?" sked Ironhide.

"Now we wait for them to make the next move" replied Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

"Looks like they're hostile, boys" said the driver into his walkie-talkie "Time to bring out the guns. Whatever you do, guard this car at all costs"

 _Meanwhile_

The sunroofs of the cars opened up and commandos rose out of them with their guns. One of the commandos got out a megaphone.

"Attention; whoever you are, turn back now" said the commando "We will not answer any questions, just turn back now. Refusal will result in hostile defense"

"Wait, those are Humans" said Bumblebee.

"That'll explain the no-ground bridge" said Jazz.

"Ratchet, the captors are not Decepticons, they are Humans" said Optimus into his comlink.

"What!?" said Ratchet through Optimus's comlink "How's that even possible?"

"We'll have to figure that out when we have the time" replied Optimus "Right now, our primary focus stays the same"

 _Meanwhile_

"Hmm; no complying" said the driver "Oh well, they had they're chance. Open fire; aim for the wheels"

 _Meanwhile_

The commandos began shooting at them.

"Woah!" said Jazz whilst skidding back.

"Jazz, we have to stay in our positions" said Prowl.

"I know" said Jazz "But damn, these guys mean business"

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream paced back and forth in the bridge.

"Why haven't I received any reports on the capture of Grimlock yet?" asked Starscream "Do you mean to tell me that no one has encountered him yet?" Suddenly, the doors opened wide to reveal Grimlock standing there. He held Dead End in his hand with Blitzwing and Hailstorm over his shoulders. He pushed the unconscious Astrotrain forward who reached Starscream's feet.

"Starscream!" snarled Grimlock whilst throwing the other three unconscious Decepticons to the side and pulling out his sword.

"I think I was a little too soft before" said Starscream "We'll just heal any damage you receive. Blast him down!" Barricade and the Vehicons turned to Grimlock and began shooting but Grimlock took cover by the hallway. He looked at the doorway and noticed the edge of one of the doors. He leapt out, ripped the door straight out of the wall, and used it as a shield so he could get closer. "What is this?!" As soon as he reached the Vehicons, Grimlock slammed the shield straight into the Vehicons and charged through them, cutting them down with his sword. After going through the Vehicons, he walked over to Barricade and grabbed him by the neck before he could fire anymore shots.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Barricade before Grimlock threw him through a window. Slipstream turned to Grimlock and began shooting him but he turned around, charged at her, and stabbed her into the wall by her wing with his sword before punching her in the face and pulling the sword out. He then turned to Starscream who fired both his rockets at him, only to have them both deflected by Grimlock's sword. Grimlock then grabbed him by the neck and held him up and pointed his double-barreled blaster at.

"What do you want?" asked Starscream.

"You know what I want!" snarled Grimlock. From the hallway, Soundwave took cover and watched carefully. "I want my crew! You took them, I want them back!"

"I'm afraid…I can't do that, Grimlock" said Starscream.

"Of course you can" said Grimlock.

"Ravage: Eject" said Soundwave quietly whilst ejecting Ravage "Operation: Distraction" Ravage growled and sprinted out towards Grimlock.

"You just need a little persuasion" said Grimlock just before Ravage leapt onto his shoulder and began attacking him violently. "Get off!" He tried to grab Ravage but the robot jaguar was too fast and easily escaped his lunges. Suddenly, Soundwave stepped out, extended out his tentacles, stuck them into Grimlock's chest, and electrocuted him until he fell unconscious.

"What purpose do you need of him?" asked Soundwave.

"The same thing we did with the others" replied Starscream "Drag him to the lab and have him strap down so he can't escape"

 _Meanwhile_

"Where is that goddamn air support!" said the driver "Slag it; I'll have to call Karaz again" As he lifted the walkie-talkie up to his mouth, Bluestone slowly regained consciousness. "Karaz, do you hear me?" Suddenly, Bluestone punched the soldier out unconscious.

"He's awake!" exclaimed the commando who sat next to the driver's seat.

"Then do something about it!" snapped the driver. The commando grabbed a pistol and shot at Bluestone, but he ducked and the bullet shot through the back window. "No, not like that; Karaz wants him alive!"

"What am I supposed to do?" said the commando. Bluestone grabbed the rifle off of the soldier and knocked the commando out with it before doing the same to the driver. Bluestone sighed.

"Military training don't fail me now" said Bluestone to himself. He carefully pulled the driver and the commando out of the front seats and sat in the driver's seat himself.

"I assume the sudden silence means only one thing; the vehicle is now under new management" said Karaz from the walkie-talkie "Good work, Agent Bluestone" Bluestone grabbed the walkie-talkie and held it up to his mouth.

"Who is this?" asked Bluestone.

"You may call me Karaz and only that" replied Karaz "I guess we underestimated you. But don't think for a moment your rescuers are going to get out of this unharmed"

"Rescuers?" said Bluestone "What do you mean by that?"

"The civilian vehicles chasing after you" replied Karaz "Don't you think we were the least bit suspicious of that?"

"What have you done?" asked Bluestone. There was no reply. "Answer me!"

"Goodbye, Agent Bluestone" said Karaz. Bluestone looked at the back windshield and noticed Optimus and the others following me.

"Prime, do you hear me?" asked Bluestone into his comlink.

"Acknowledged" said Optimus out of his comlink "What is your status"

"Good news, I've gotten control of the car" replied Bluestone.

"And what is the bad news?" asked Optimus.

"Bad news is I just got word that our friends here have called for reinforcements" replied Bluestone "I don't know what they are yet, but it can't be good. I'll try to get out of here without the rest of them noticing"

"Understood" said Optimus "Autobots, the Humans have sent out a distress call; be on alert for unexpected attackers"

"Got it, Opti—" said Breakaway shortly before being shot at the back. Suddenly, a group of helicopters flew towards him in an aggressive manor. "Oh dear; Optimus, I just found that backup"

"Great, now they've got the sky advantage!" said Ironhide "What are we supposed to do now, Optimus?"

"Agent Bluestone has taken control of the car at the center; if we can distract the others, he can escape" replied Optimus.

"And then what?" asked Ironhide.

"We'll figure it out from there" replied Optimus "Ratchet, are Hound and Mirage ready?"

"I've just given them new alternative modes" replied Ratchet through his comlink "What do you need them for?"

"Can you transport them just ahead of the cars?" asked Optimus.

"Certainly can" replied Ratchet "Oh, and I'll make sure to have them off to the side to avoid the ground bridge from being noticed" Within a matter of minutes, a ground bridge appeared several meters ahead of the cars on the side of the road. An army green 2016 Jeep Wrangler with Hound's hologram gun mounted on it and a blue and white Toyota 86 race car (Hound and Mirage) drove out of the portal and onto the road in front of the cars, causing them all to abruptly skid to a stop.

"Where the heck did those come from?!" exclaimed one of the commandos. Bluestone quickly turned around and drove off the road.

"I'm off now, Prime" said Bluestone.

"Understood" said Optimus "Autobots, follow the car that has gone off the road" He and the other Autobots turned around and followed Bluestone.

"Guys, we've got company!" said Breakaway as the helicopters swooped in and started shooting at them.

"Okay, how do we shake these ones off?" asked Ironhide.

"We need a distraction" replied Optimus.

"Let me handle it" said Hound. He pointed his hologram up at the helicopters and projected a hologram of the explosion.

"Watch out!" exclaimed a pilot as he and the other helicopters went back.

"Ratchet, open a ground bridge now!" said Optimus.

"Already on it" said Ratchet. A ground bridge opened in front of them and they drove straight through back into the _Ark_ where they all transformed.

"Thanks for saving me back there, Prime" said Bluestone "I owe you one"

"More than one" said Jazz under his breath.

"Nice to see that you two got some new alt modes finally" said Wheeljack.

"Yeah" said Hound "I like it already. It should help me cover lots of ground perfectly" Mirage looked down at his new kibble.

"It'll do" said Mirage.

"But there's one thing I still don't understand; why were Humans the ones who kidnapped you?" asked Ratchet.

"That's why we're going to find some answers" said Bluestone "Starting with them" He gestured to the unconscious people in the back of the car. "Whatever's happening, it's far from over"

 _To be continued…_

 **Hellman76** : I actually haven't watched _Transformers: Rescue Bots_ so I have no plans to add the Rescue Bots.

 **SirEmpire** : Don't worry, the Elite Guard will join the series eventually.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Yeah; I liked Hound and Mirage's characters so I decided to add them to the series. And I'm glad that the scene between Bumblebee and Arcee pleased you.

 **Martin** : I'll go into more detail of Jazz and Slipstream's relationship as the series progresses.

 **Flare36** : Thanks for the praise :) I didn't really have any plans on the other Transformer colonies other than perhaps Junkion eventually although I was planning on making Blurr Velocitronian in origin like his aligned counterpart.


	20. The Initiative part 2

_An unknown location_

Karaz sat at his desk when a group of commandos stepped in. He stood up and walked over to them.

"I heard about what happened back there" said Karaz "It was disappointing to say the least"

"With respect, sir; the situation got out of hand" said one of the commandos "The arrival of those vehicles was unexpected and we were unprepared fort that intervention"

"With respect; you failed" said Karaz "Without Agent Bluestone or the flash drive, we have nothing of value from this mission. You are dismissed" As the commandos left the room, Karaz turned around to face a pair of purple eyes that peered out from the shadows. "Looks like you were right about those vehicles, they really were a handful after all. But I'll make sure we're more prepared this time"

"Karaz, come in" said a commando from the phone "Karaz" Karaz walked over to the phone and answered.

"What is it?" asked Karaz into the phone.

"This is Squad #3 from New Mexico" replied the commando "We've just arrived back and we've found something that you'll be interested in"

"And what would that be?" asked Karaz.

"You'll have to come out onto the landing platform to see for yourself" replied the commando.

"Very well" said Karaz. He stood up and walked out of the door with the purple eyes watching him carefully. As he stepped outside, he walked up onto a helipad where two helicopters had just landed with several commandos surrounding it. "What is it you want to show me? You were supposed to recon the area for the next hour"

"We were; but once we found it, we knew we had to bring it back to base immediately" replied the commando.

"And what exactly would "it" be?" asked Karaz.

"That's what we're here to show you" replied the commando "Bring it out" A group of commandos wheeled out a large object from the helicopters and revealed it to be an unconscious Barricade who was wrapped in chains.

"Yes" said Karaz "This is most intriguing"

"What are your orders?" asked the commando

"Take it inside and strap it down so it can't escape" replied Karaz.

"Understood" said the commando. He gestured to the other commandos and Barricade was slowly brought back into the base. As Karaz looked on, he smiled evilly.

 **The Initiative pt. 2**

 _The Nemesis_

As Grimlock slowly regained consciousness, he tried to get himself up but found that he couldn't. He looked down at his wrist to find it shackled as was his other wrist. He desperately tried to pull himself free but found that the shackles were too strong.

"What is this!?" snarled Grimlock.

"Ahh, the beast awakens!" said a voice. Grimlock looked around the room to see that Starscream stood there with Thundercracker (who was now fully repaired).

"Starscream!" snarled Grimlock.

"Poor little Grimlock" smirked Starscream whilst walking over to him slowly "You were once one of the most vicious Cybertronians to ever live, but now…you're nothing more than a caged animal"

"If you come any closer, I'll rip you to shreds!" snarled Grimlock.

"Really?" smirked Starscream "Let's put that to the test, shall we?" He walked over to Grimlock and started tapping him on the forehead. "See? Useless!" Grimlock pulled himself up again various times, causing Starscream to step back.

"Ha!" smirked Grimlock "Not so tough now!" Starscream huffed in annoyance.

"I think I've had enough of your insubordination" said Starscream.

"Optimus couldn't make me follow him" said Grimlock "What makes you think that you can?"

"Because Optimus could never use force" replied Starscream.

"Don't push it" said Starscream "But I know who can" Grimlock raised an eyebrow shortly before the door opened to reveal a skinny silhouette standing there. The skinny figure stepped forward and revealed itself to be Mindwipe. "May I present to you the greatest hypnotist Cybertron has ever seen—Mindwipe!" Mindwipe walked over to Grimlock and looked at him up and down like a piece of meat. "Well?"

"I can see why you'd want to add him to the others" said Mindwipe.

"Can you do it this time?" asked Starscream.

"Last time was over a distance" replied Mindwipe "Without proper eye contact; my connection would have no doubt been severed"

"We'll come back here after you're done" said Starscream. He and Thundercracker turned around to leave the room. "Oh, and one last thing; you said before that you had come because you wanted to find your crew. Well guess; you'll be with them shortly" He and Thundercracker exited the room.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" asked Thundercracker.

"Grimlock can barely escape those shackles" replied Starscream "And even if he did, he can't escape a ship this heavily guarded"

"Not him, I'm talking about Mindwipe" said Thundercracker "One look from him and he can reduce us all into his slaves"

"It'll be fine" said Starscream "I've already placed precautions on each of the Vehicons which means we'll have a numbers advantage"

"I still don't like it" said Thundercracker "He's one of the most dangerous Cybertronians to ever exist; we're playing with fire here"

"We'll see about that" said Starscream "Soundwave, what is the report on Barricade?"

"We have searched the area where he would have landed but have found nothing" replied Soundwave through Starscream's comlink.

"And if he were lost he would have called us by now" said Thundercracker.

"Has he been captured by the Autobots again?" asked Starscream.

"There would have been prints and signs of a ground bridge in the environment" replied Soundwave "There were none"

"Keep looking" said Starscream "We can't have a loose end that the Autobots can simply use for their advantage"

"As you command" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

Mindwipe tried to keep Grimlock's head still as he desperately turned it to side continuously.

"Just keep still!" snarled Mindwipe.

"For you, no way!" said Grimlock.

"Heard of me, haven't you?" said Mindwipe.

"I've heard things" said Grimlock. Mindwipe smiled evilly. "Things…about a weakling who makes others do his dirty work" Mindwipe clenched his teeth, grabbed ahold of Grimlock's head at both sides, and slowly pulled it over only to reveal that his optics were closed shut.

"Open those optics" said Mindwipe.

"Do you think I'm that stupid?" said Grimlock. Mindwipe grabbed him by the lids of his optics and slowly pulled them open in a forceful manner. "You…You can't—" Mindwipe pulled open his optics

"Look…" said Mindwipe. Grimlock tried to avoid his gaze but one look into his optics and he went almost catatonic. As everything around Grimlock slowly dissolved away, Grimlock found himself in a large featureless wasteland with no sign of anyone else.

"What is this place?" said Grimlock to himself as he got himself up. He looked around and huffed before walking off into the distance.

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"So these were people?" said Bobby.

"They were" said Bulkhead "Why would you ask?"

"As in "people" people" said Kate "Not like holograms or something?"

"Why would the Decepticons pretend to be Humans?" asked Bulkhead.

"Perhaps to cover up that they were the ones who actually did it" replied Kate "Plus, it would confuse you and put you off your game" Melody leaned against the rail with her arms crossed as she briefly looked across at Bumblebee and Arcee who stood next to each other at the other end of the room.

"That's actually an interesting idea" said Bulkhead "But from the way that Agent Bluestone described it, these aren't holograms. Besides, he was able to drive that car by himself without any problems; not even a Decepticon who's trying to keep cover would willingly allow a Human to drive them" At that moment, Ratchet opened a ground bridge. "And on that note…" Agent Bluestone stepped out from the portal and walked up to the platform.

"What news do you have from the men you captured?" asked Optimus.

"They're awake now, but they're not giving us any information" replied Bluestone "They've obviously been prepared for such a situation, which only makes them more daunting"

"In the meantime until we find out who they are, the safest way to travel is by ground bridge" said Ratchet "It's better not to leave the base any other way"

"That we can both agree on" said Bluestone

"And considering that they were able to send a double-agent into the base just to capture you, it'd be better to stay away for the moment" said Prowl.

"We're already having each of soldier of that base investigated in case there's any more hidden there" said Bluestone. Bumblebee let out a mock yawn.

"I don't know about you, but stuff like this is pretty hard to follow" said Bumblebee quietly.

"Why don't we go somewhere else?" asked Arcee quietly.

"I like that idea" replied Bumblebee quietly. The two of them subtlety walked out of the room and into one of the hallways. Melody noticed this and sighed.

"Well, you've got to do it sometime" said Melody quietly to herself.

"Excuse me?" said Bobby.

"Oh, nothing" said Melody. She looked around cautiously and followed after Bumblebee and Arcee. As she walked down the hallway, she could hear Bumblebee and Arcee talking but could barely make it out. As she moved down the hallway, she found Bumblebee and Arcee leaning up against the wall together. As Melody stepped back in shock, Bumblebee noticed that she was there. "Melody?!"

"Woah!" exclaimed Arcee. There was a short but awkward silence.

"Well, at least I know why you haven't been picking me up lately" said Melody. She turned and left.

"Melody, wait; it's not what you think!" said Bumblebee just before she disappeared down the hallway. He sighed and face palmed himself. Melody walked back into the bridge where she walked up onto the platform to grab her jacket.

"Hey Melody, where have you—" said Bobby.

"We're leaving" said Melody.

"But…we just got here" said Kate.

"Well, we're leaving early" said Melody. The three of them walked down off the platform.

"Jazz, can you give us a lift home?" asked Melody.

"Uh, can do" replied Jazz. He transformed and they got into him and drove off.

 _A few minutes later_

Jazz pulled up outside Melody's house and she got out.

"Melody, is something bothering you?" asked Bobby.

"I'm fine, Bobby" said Melody.

"Melody, something's eating you" said Bobby "Whatever it is, you have to talk about—"

"I said I'm fine, Bobby!" spat Melody. She slammed the door shut. Bobby sighed

"Whatever it is, I think it's upsetting her too much at the moment" said Kate "Give her time, she'll come around eventually"

"Oh yeah?" said Jazz "She may have upset madness but that's no excuse for upset rudeness"

 _Meanwhile_

Melody stepped through the door and marched upstairs in a huff.

"Hey Melody, you're home earlier than usual" said Heather "How was school today?" Melody didn't reply. Heather stepped out of the kitchen and looked up the stairs. "Melody?" Melody still didn't reply. "MELODY!"

"I don't want to talk about it, mom!" said Melody. She walked across to her room, entered it, and slammed the door shut behind her. She pulled her bag off her back and threw it at the wall before flinging herself onto her bed and sighing. She looked over at her window, stepped up, walked over to it, opened it wide, and looked out at the sunset. At that moment, she heard a knock on the door.

"Melody, just letting you know that dinner's ready" said Heather's voice "Come down when you're ready" Melody took one last look out the window before sighing.

 _A few minutes later_

Melody sat at the table whilst fiddling with her food using her fork in a disinterested manner.

"Is there something wrong, Melody?" asked Heather "You've barely touched your dinner"

"It's nothing" said Melody.

"C'mon; whatever it is, you can tell me" said Heather "I know it may seem hard, but you'll feel better talking about it" Melody put her fork down and breathed in.

"Okay" said Melody "I've got these two friends—"

"Bobby and Kate?" asked Heather.

"No, not them" replied Melody "These other two friends"

"I'm listening" said Heather.

"Anyways, I met them some time ago and we've been hanging out with them lately" said Melody "Then I introduce them to Bobby and Kate and things started getting a little crowded and complicated. But then I started seeing less and less of them and I felt that I upset them. So anyways; today I managed to track the two of them down and I approached them to apologize for not paying enough attention to them, only to find that the reason they hadn't been hanging out with me much was because they had…gotten together…and they hadn't even told me about it. I stormed off before they could explain it to me and I went straight home"

"I can see why you're upset" said Heather.

"Honestly, I don't know what I'm more upset about; that they didn't talk to me and made me feel like I was excluding them, or that I just left like that" said Melody "What should I do?"

"I'm sure it will wind down if you give it a chance" replied Heather "Just let them know how you feel when you're ready to approach them again"

"Thanks Mom" said Melody.

 _The next morning_

Melody stepped into the kitchen fully dressed and started pouring herself some cereal.

"You're up early" said Heather.

"I felt like walking to school today" said Melody as she poured milk on top of the cereal "Best to do it bright and early"

 _A few minutes later_

Melody stepped out the front door and swung her backpack over her back.

"Bye Mom" said Melody.

"Have a great day at school, Melody" said Heather as she closed the front door over. Melody stopped at the footpath and looked at the space where Bumblebee and Arcee would usually park.

"Will do" said Melody. She walked off down the footpath, unaware that a small spy drone equipped with a camera followed her quietly.

 _Meanwhile_

"That's her" said Karaz as he looked into a computer screen which showed the camera's view "That's the one who's been frequenting with the vehicles. Send a squad to capture her"

"Already on their way" said a commando.

 _Meanwhile_

As Melody walked down the street and towards the school, she heard her phone ring and saw that it was from Bumblebee. She sighed.

"Well, better now than never" said Melody to herself. She answered the phone. "Hello, Bumblebee"

"Melody, where are you?" asked Bumblebee "Arcee and I have been waiting outside your house for ages and you're not coming out. I'd hoot the horn, but I'd rather not disturb anyone"

"It's okay, Bee" replied Melody "I'm just walking to school today"

"Why are you—" asked Bumblebee.

"Just a preference, that's all" replied Melody. A commando dressed in civilian stood several meters behind her, looked around cautiously, and pulled out a walkie-talkie.

"Spotted the target" said the commando into his walkie-talkie "She's exactly where the drone showed us"

"Do you want us to bring the car around for support?" asked a commando through his walkie-talkie.

"Negative" replied the first commando "If she spots anything suspicious, she'll run or even call for backup. No; we'll do something more subtle. I'll handle this; just give me time"

"Listen, Melody; about yesterday between me and Arcee—" said Bumblebee.

"It's okay" said Melody "I'm cool with it"

"You're…You're not mad?" said Bumblebee.

"Why would I be?" asked Melody.

"Well, the way you stormed off—" replied Bumblebee.

"I was just upset, okay" said Melody "A lot of things have been going through my head over the past few days; ever since we let Bobby and Kate in on the secret, I felt like I was excluding you guys. And when you stopped picking us up and dropping us off, I thought you were holding spite against me"

"Listen; when Arcee and I got together, it wasn't because we were mad at you" said Bumblebee "We've…sort of had a thing for a long but it's been all unspoken and we've only now got the courage to—"

"I told you, I'm cool with it" said Melody "Besides, you two make a cute couple"

"Oh…thank you" said Bumblebee "You know, we're only a few blocks away; perhaps we could swing by and give you a lift"

"That's not necessary" said Melody "I'm literally within walking distance of the school"

"Oh…" said Bumblebee "Well, there's always tomorrow"

"Listen, I just need a bit of time to…sort some things out, okay" said Melody "I would appreciate it if you guys could give me some space in the meantime. Okay?"

"Okay" said Bumblebee.

"See you, Bee" said Melody.

"See you" said Bumblebee. The call ended. Melody was about to walk over to the crossing when she heard a voice behind her.

"Excuse me" said the voice. Melody turned around to face the commando. She looked at him up and down in confusion.

"Do I know you?" asked Melody.

"That doesn't matter" replied the commando "Give me the phone"

"Listen; I don't know who you are, but I'm not just handing my phone to some random stranger" said Melody "Now, if you'll excuse me…" She turned to leave.

"Do you fancy this, then?" said the commando whilst pulling out a gun. Melody stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly. "Over here" Melody slowly walked over to him and pulled her phone back out. "Place it on the ground" Melody slowly placed her phone on the ground. As the commando snatched the phone, Melody stepped back a step which caused the commando to point the gun at her again. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I gave you what you wanted now just let me go" said Melody.

"No, you're coming with me" said the commando.

"Why?" asked Melody. The commando responded by clicking the trigger somewhat. "Okay, okay"

"Turn around" said the commando. Melody turned around and the commando pointed his gun on her back and led her down an alleyway.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock walked further through the featureless wasteland.

"Still nothing" said Grimlock to himself. It was then that he felt something slither underneath his feet. He looked down at the ground and noticed that various vein-like objects slithered around in a disturbing pattern. It was then that he heard whispery chanting around him in all directions. "Is this supposed to frighten me? I've encountered more things than you could ever imagine!" Suddenly, there was a large flash and something slowly materialized in front of him. "What on Cybertron?" The object slowly took the shape of several humanoids which soon took the shape of the other members of the Lightning Strike Coalition. "My…My crew!" He rushed forward but they all vanished before he could even reach them. "No!" He stamped the ground in anger and frustration.

"Try not to let it out on the ground" said a voice. Grimlock turned around and saw Mindwipe standing there. "You'll only end up hurting yourself"

"You!" snarled Grimlock. He charged over towards Mindwipe but the Decepticon vanished just before he reached him. He then turned around and saw Mindwipe standing there.

"My advice, try not to lose your temper" said Mindwipe.

"What have you done with my crew!?" snarled Grimlock.

"They're alive" replied Mindwipe "Merely…elsewhere"

"Don't play games with me, Con!" snarled Grimlock "Tell me where they are before I rip your spark out!"

"But then you'll never find out, would you?" smirked Mindwipe. There was a short silence before Grimlock growled in annoyance and held his head in frustration. "Come now; just calm down and listen to me and in return you'll see them again"

"Or I can just pull it out of you!" snarled Grimlock as he reached for his sword, only to realize that it had disappeared. "What?"

"As I said; with me dead, you'll never get anywhere" said Mindwipe "There's nothing you can do to make me think otherwise"

"What have you done with my sword?!" snarled Grimlock.

"You still don't understand, do you?" said Mindwipe "This is not your world…it is mine, and I have complete control here; more so than you could ever imagine"

"If you're trying to scare me, it isn't working" said Grimlock.

"Watch your tongue" said Mindwipe "You're about a few seconds away from realizing the true power that I hold here"

"You're about a few seconds away from having your head permanently introduced to your t-cog" said Grimlock.

"Well, it seems you have to learn the hard way" said Mindwipe. He began shaking.

"I don't have time for this!" snapped Grimlock "I'll say it again; show me where my team is or I'll gut you like…" It was then that he noticed that Mindwipe wasn't merely shaking but morphing into a new shape. His fingers grew like long spikes and were accompanied by a thin membrane which turned his hands into large wings. His feet became larger and large claws protruded from the toes. His body grew larger and larger and grew a large hunchback. A pair of large pointed ears protruded from the sides of his head and his face morphed into a large snout with a mouth full of sharp fanged teeth which dripped a strange red substance. "By the AllSpark!" Mindwipe had morphed into a large mechanical bat monster with red optics. As he slowly crawled over to Grimlock, a disturbing but familiar soothing, creepy, and whispery voice pierced into the Autobot's head.

" _I warned you…_

 _You should have listened…"_

Grimlock held his head.

"Get out of my head!" snarled Grimlock.

" _Are you not comfortable?_

 _It's not the first time…"_

"You…" said Grimlock "You're the one who made me obey Starscream!"

" _You did not obey Starscream…_

 _You obeyed me…"_

"I obey no one!" snarled Grimlock.

" _You do now…"_

"Stay back" said Grimlock. Mindwipe didn't comply. "I said stay back, you overgrown retrorat!" Mindwipe still didn't comply. "Fine; you asked for it!" He tried to transform but found that he couldn't. "What!?"

" _You cannot transform…_

 _Only I can tell you when to…"_

Grimlock then tried to retract out his double-barreled blasters but found that he couldn't either.

" _You cannot use your weapons either…"_

"That's not possible" said Grimlock.

" _It is here…"_

Mindwipe let out an ear-splitting screech and started flapping his wings before leaping off into the air and flying towards Grimlock who started running away. Mindwipe swooped down and grabbed him by the shoulders with his feet and flying off.

"Let me go, you freak!" snarled Grimlock. Mindwipe flew down, let go of Grimlock, and let him roll away. As he stood himself up, he noticed that a mirror stood in front of him with no reflections in it.

" _I am no freak…_

 _If you want to see the true freak…"_

An image of Grimlock in his beast mode appeared in the mirror.

" _You need only look in the mirror…_

Grimlock looked over at Mindwipe who was flapping in the air in front of him.

"I know what I've become" said Grimlock "My new alternative mode…the line between it and me…and the savagery that comes with it. But you're one to talk"

" _You don't understand…_

 _I am no freak…_

 _I…am a GOD!"_

Mindwipe swooped down and tackled Grimlock to the ground.

"Get off!" snarled Grimlock. He tried to push Mindwipe off but found that he couldn't.  
"Just…get…OFF!"

" _You have no strength here…_

 _Only I do…_

 _This is my world and I decide how things work…"_

Desperate; Grimlock looked around for something to use as a weapon, but found nothing.

" _Subject to me and this ends…"_

Grimlock looked down at the ground and instantly thought of an idea. He grabbed onto it, sinking his fingers into it, and ripped a chunk of it out before stabbing it into Mindwipe's stomach. As the Decepticon let out a painful cry, Grimlock ripped himself free and punched Mindwipe into the ground.

"Optimus and Megatron couldn't make me bend a knee" said Grimlock "What makes you think you could?" He turned around and ran off. Suddenly, Mindwipe got himself up and shot out a pair of chains from his wrists which wrapped themselves around Grimlock's neck and pulled him in slowly. As this happened, the sky turned black and the ground turned red with flames. "Let me go! LET ME GO!" He struggled and desperately tried to rip the chains off but there was no effect.

" _If you will not willingly subject then I will break you until do!"_

The landscape was engulfed in flames.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee and Arcee drove along the road, Bumblebee received a call.

"Call coming" said Bumblebee "Hello?"

"Bee, it's Bobby" said Bobby out of his comlink.

"Oh, hey" said Bumblebee "What's the call for?"

"Do you know where Melody is?" asked Bobby.

"I told you when we dropped you two off; she said she's walking today" replied Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

"I know, but she hasn't turned up yet and school's almost started" said Bobby.

"Really, she's not anywhere?" asked Bumblebee.

"We've looked around and there's no sign of her" replied Bobby.

"Well, she did say that she wanted some space" said Bumblebee "I assumed she meant from just me and Arcee but she could mean you and Kate as well, but that seems unlikely"

"I just hope you're right" said Bobby. At that moment, the school bell rang.

"Better get off to class" said Kate.

"We have to go in now" said Bobby "I hope Melody's in there"

 _Meanwhile_

"I hope so too" said Bumblebee "This doesn't make any sense; why would she not turn up at school?"

 _Meanwhile_

The commando brought Melody to the end of the alleyway where a car was parked.

"What now?" asked Melody.

"Get in the car" replied the commando. He opened the door to the backseat and pushed Melody inside before getting inside himself and sitting next to her, all while still pointing his gun at her. Two other commandos sat in the front seats. "Get going and tell Karaz that we've got the girl" The commando driver nodded his head and they drove off.

"What do you want with me?" asked Melody.

"Don't ask questions" replied the commando. The commando in the seat next to the driver's seat got out his walkie-talkie.

"We've got the girl and we're en-route back to base" said the commando into his walkie-talkie.

"Good work" said Karaz out of the walkie-talkie "But there's been a change in plans. Do you have her phone?" As the second commando looked into the back seat, the first commando pulled out Melody's phone.

"Positive" replied the second commando.

"Meet us at the alternative rendezvous point" said Karaz.

"Understood" said the second commando "Looks like we're taking you for a ride" Melody frowned. At that moment, Melody's phone rang causing the first commando to pull it out and examine it.

"Bumblebee, huh?" said the first commando "I was expecting something a little more…alien"

"What!?" exclaimed Melody "You know about them!?" The commando merely pointed his gun at her.

"I told you: no questions" said the first commando "But yes, we do" He looked back down at the phone. "Best to avoid contact for now" He turned the phone off.

 _Later_

Bobby and Kate exited the school doors as the bell ran and they walked down the steps and towards Bumblebee and Arcee who were parked there.

"Still no Melody?" asked Bumblebee.

"She never turned up today" said Bobby whilst he and Kate got into Bumblebee's backseat "The teacher called her mom but she hasn't seen her either"

"I tried calling her over and over but she hasn't replied" said Bumblebee.

"So now what are we going to do?" asked Kate.

"When we get back to base, we'll ask Optimus about it" replied Bumblebee "He'll know what to do"

 _Meanwhile_

Barricade slowly opened his optics and tried to get up until realizing that he was chained up to the ground.

"What!?" snarled Barricade "What is this!?" He looked around and saw the various Humans surrounding him. "Humans; what are you doing here?"

"We found you in New Mexico" said a voice "We were able to retrieve you before anyone noticed"

"Who are you?" asked Barricade.

"You may call me Karaz" replied Karaz "But enough of the small talk, we'll get down to business"

"Business?" said Barricade.

"Are the tools readied?" asked Karaz. A surgeon (who was dressed in commando attire) nodded his head. "Good, then get ready"

"Get ready for what?" asked Barricade.

"Your discovery is a chance opportunity and one that we will exploit greatly" replied Karaz "Since the beginning, our cause had great vision but was hindered by the limitations of technology. But with you, a new generation is about to be born"

"And how are you supposed to achieve that?" snapped Barricade.

"By exploring you surgically" replied Karaz.

"You…You can't be serious" said Barricade.

"We are" said Karaz. Barricade looked over to the mutilated scraps of metal scattered all over the room.

"No, you can't do this" snapped Barricade.

"And how are you supposed to stop us?" said Karaz "Begin operation" Various surgical tools came down from the roof on rods and surrounded Barricade.

"Sir, I've just received a call from the group who retrieved the girl" said a commando who walked up to him "They've almost arrived at the rendezvous point"

"Very well" said Karaz "Procedure postponed until I return"

"But sir, we have everything ready" said the surgeon "We can still continue the operation in your absence"

"Indeed you do" said Karaz "However, this is a major gamechanger and I wish to oversee it firsthand. Don't worry; as long as you keep him well guarded and contained, he shouldn't be a problem. Prepare my helicopter for immediate departure. And also, remind the commandos to bring our…secret weapon"

 _A few minutes later_

"In all my years, I never thought it would come to this" said Ratchet "I know how to fight Decepticons, but Humans?"

"We've been fighting Humans for years and still hasn't gotten any easier for us" said Bluestone.

"Didn't get any easier with us when we fought the Decepticons either" said Jazz "We were once all Cybertronians long ago; y'know, before the war"

"We all know, Jazz" said Prowl "But we've got no time to lament the past; we have to focus on the here and now while we still can" At that moment, Bluestone's phone began ringing.

"Just a second" said Bluestone before answering it "Hello? Uh-huh…Uh-huh…" At that moment, Bumblebee and Arcee sped in.

"Whoa; watch it!" said Bulkhead. After Bobby and Kate got out, Bumblebee and Arcee transformed.

"We've got trouble" said Bumblebee shortly before looking around "Where's Optimus?"

"Optimus and Ironhide are out on a mission now" said Prowl. Bumblebee opened his mouth to speak but was cut off. "And before you ask; no, we can't contact them. Optimus left specific instructions to not be disturbed"

"Why's that?" asked Bumblebee.

"Presumably because it's important and cannot be interrupted" said Prowl whilst crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Got it" said Bluestone before putting his phone away "Just got news about the recent Human predicament"

"Your men were able to get information out of them?" asked Prowl.

"Very little, but it was enough to follow up on a lead" replied Bluestone "They're agents working for the Initiative"

"The Initiative?" said Ratchet.

"They're a terrorist group operating around the country" said Bluestone.

"What can you tell us about them?" asked Prowl.

"We know very little about them because they keep such a low profile, only showing themselves when absolutely unavoidable" replied Bluestone "Heck, that little encounter we had was the most active they'd been for months"

"Was there anything you found out while you were their prisoner?" asked Prowl.

"While in the car, I was able to grab a radio off them and I managed to talk to their leader; or at least someone in a high position" replied Bluestone.

"Did you find anything out?" asked Prowl.

"Only that he calls himself Karaz" replied Bluestone.

"What kind of Human name is Karaz?" asked Bulkhead.

"It's an alias" replied Bluestone "He's not one for the spotlight so he's making sure to cover his tracks, wherever possible. And there was one other thing; I think he might know about the transformers, or at least suspect something"

"That's not good" said Prowl "With more Humans knowing about the secret, especially such hostile ones, the stakes have just heightened"

"Wait, I'm getting a call" said Bumblebee.

"Put it on speaker" said Jazz.

"Got it" said Bumblebee while adjusting his comlink to speaker "Hello?"

"Whoever you are, do me a favor and pass on a message for me" said Karaz out of Bumblebee's comlink.

"Who is this?" asked Bumblebee.

"That doesn't matter now" replied Karaz "What matters is that we have the girl; I believe her name is Melody"

"What have you done to her?" asked Bumblebee.

"She's safe, for now" replied Karaz "We're on the south outskirts of Carson City where we're waiting for you. We'll stay there for another six hours and then we'll leave. If you want her back, the one you call Arcee must arrive and turn herself in"

"What?" said Arcee.

"She's must come alone; and if she doesn't, we'll escape with the girl before you can even react" said Karaz "And we know very well that you won't harm Humans. So be there on time and exactly how we planned it. Understood?"

"Understood" replied Bumblebee.

"Good" said Karaz.

"That was Karaz, I recognized the voice" said Bluestone.

"Handing over one of our own is too dangerous, and we don't know for sure whether Karaz will hold up his end of the bargain" said Prowl "We have to think up a plan, and make sure it works"

"But what time do we have, Prowl?" asked Arcee "You heard them; if I don't turn myself in in six hours, they'll leave their position"

"True, six hours; the limited time was meant to make a plan difficult to come up with" said Prowl "But they don't know one thing; it's less difficult to reach a location when you have a ground bridge"

"Oh!" said Arcee.

 _Later_

Karaz and a group of commandos waited out by the side of the road in front of a helicopter.

"I hate to be kept waiting" said Karaz. He looked down at a figure who was handcuffed and on the ground who wore a bag over their head to cover their. "For your sake, they had better come soon" At that moment, Arcee drove up towards them on the road. "Speak of the devil" Arcee drove up and stopped just in front of them. "You can take your normal form now, we know all about you" Arcee transformed.

"First, show me she's alright" said Arcee. Karaz nodded to the commandos and they pushed the figure forward and removed the bag to reveal that it was Melody who was gagged. Melody tried to get up but the commandos pushed her back down.

"That was our part of the deal" said Karaz "Now, for your part" Arcee looked over in the distance. "C'mon, we don't have all day. Surrender yourself, and the girl goes free" Arcee looked back down.

"There's just one problem, how am I supposed to know she'll get to safety?" said Arcee.

"This isn't a moment to bargain further" said Karaz "Accept the offer that I gave you now or not at all"

"I think I'll make my own offers" said Arcee. Suddenly, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack appeared out of nowhere and drove over to the commandos, transformed, and surrounded them with their blasters poised.

"We've got you surrounded" said Bumblebee "It's time for you to surrender"

"There's no reason for us to stand down" said Karaz "You don't kill Humans"

"Maybe not" said Bumblebee "But we can still pick you up and throw you straight into the pentagon" The commandos lifted up their guns and pointed them at them.

"Yeah, like that's going to do any damage" smirked Bulkhead.

"Maybe that won't" said Karaz "But this might" He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Melody's head. "If I see anything aggressive, I'll pull the trigger and you'll have nothing left but a dead girl"

"If you hurt her I'll drag you straight into custody" said Bumblebee.

"Word of advice: no Human can capture me alive, or anything else" said Karaz. A commando who was in a sniper position on the top of a large rock readied a large launcher and shot out a mine-like device which landed in the middle of them and stunned the Autobots (leaving the Humans conscious). "Perfect. Not only have we successfully tested our weapon against not one but four transformers, we now have them as additional test subjects. This is the dawn of a new age for the Initiative, one that tips the balance of power into our favor"

 _To be continued…_

 **Author's note #1** : Mindwipe taking the form of a bat monster was a homage to how his alternative mode in G1 is a robot bat.

 **Author's note #2** : Mindwipe taunting Grimlock was based of the Violator taunting Spawn.

 **Hellman76** : Blaster will appear in the series eventually.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Thanks for reviewing. I hope this chapter gave some insight into who they really are.

 **kira444** : I'll try to make sure my Human villains are executed well and I'll make sure they become a real menace without dulling down the Decepticons' threat.

 **SirEmpire** : Thanks for reviewing; I made Hound a Jeep Wrangler since it was natural for his character and made Mirage a race car but not a Formula One so he can blend in better.


	21. The Initiative part 3

_The Ark_

Prowl looked into Teletraan I where he continuously replayed the body-cam recordings of Arcee, Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack when they encountered Karaz and got stunned, where he was trying to find any small details that he had missed. He looked down at the mine-like object that had stunned them and then up into the corner where he noticed the Initiative commando who had fired the shot.

"So that's how it happened" said Prowl.

 _Prowl's flashback_

"Better go now" said Prowl.

"So where exactly are you sending us?" asked Bumblebee.

"Arcee says she's spotted the Initiative" replied Prowl "I'm sending you three far behind them so they don't notice your arrival"

"Anything else?" asked Wheeljack.

"There is actually" replied Prowl "Remember to surround them so they can't escape, because that's the last thing we want; and this goes without saying, try not to do anything rash. These Initiative people might not be on our side but they're still Humans nonetheless, so no killing and try to avoid any serious injuries"

"Got it" said Bumblebee "Alright boys, let's roll out" He, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack transformed and drove into the ground bridge in front of them. Prowl then turned and walked over to Hound and Mirage.

"Hound, Mirage, follow me" said Prowl.

"What do you want?" asked Hound.

"I need you two for a special mission" replied Prowl.

 _Back to reality_

"Hey Prowl, aren't we going to do something?" asked Jazz.

"About what?" asked Prowl.

"The Initiative still has Melody and now they have Arcee, Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and Bulkhead" replied Jazz "I mean…we've got to do something, right?"

"Everything's under control" said Prowl.

"What do you mean by…wait; by under control, do you mean that you're using them to find the Initiative's base?" asked Jazz.

"Sort of" replied Prowl.

"Sort of?" said Jazz "Sort of? They could die if we don't do anything. Remember; you're not only endangering Autobot lives, but also the life of a Human as well. Optimus wouldn't do this"

"Don't tell me what Optimus would do" said Prowl "I know what he would do. But I'm doing what I would do"

"Meaning?" said Jazz.

"When Arcee encountered Karaz, he wasn't the least bit shocked to see her transform" said Prowl "Melody's kidnapping wasn't random, he knew she was connected to us. Furthermore, he has a weapon that can be used against us. This isn't guesswork, someone told him about us"

"Who exactly?" asked Jazz.

"That's what I don't know" replied Prowl "I think Decepticon leaders like Starscream would consider working with Humans beneath them. Hopefully everything will become clear when we get to the base"

"You could have at least told them what you were getting them into" said Jazz.

"They wouldn't have gone along with it if they knew" said Prowl.

"But what if Karaz killed them?" asked Jazz.

"He wants something more from them" replied Prowl "He wouldn't have gone through all of this just to destroy someone"

"You know, you've got some real trust issues" said Jazz.

"That hardly matters" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

Karaz's helicopter landed on the helipad and he stepped out of it.

"How are the specimens?" asked Karaz.

"The convoy is en-route and almost here" said a commando "They should arrive within the hour"

"Perfect" said Karaz "When they arrive, be careful of loading them off. If one of them at least moves on its own, stun it"

"Understood" said the commando.

"Now; if you'll excuse me, I'll just inform our partner of the current status" said Karaz.

"I don't like it" said the commando "She just comes out of nowhere and you allow her in and trust everything she says"

"On the contrary, I never trusted her" said Karaz "She was up to something long before she even approached us"

"Then why did you—" asked the commando.

"You have much to learn" replied Karaz "She was playing us, yes; but she offered a lot in return, and that was worth more than anything. I allowed her to stay because she still has much to offer"

"But what if she turns on us?" asked the commando.

"When that happens, we'll be prepared" replied Karaz "But until then, we'll play along" He turned and walked back into the base where he entered his office and sat down, looking over at the purple eyes in the shadows. "Plan worked after all; not only do we have the one named Arcee as our prisoner, but also three others as well. I have to give you credit, your involvement was essential. We probably would never have gotten far enough by this time" The purple eyes moved forward out of the shadow and revealed itself to be Airachnid.

"It was my pleasure" said Airachnid.

 **The Initiative pt. 3**

 _Utah_

Scrapper walked up to Long Haul, Bonecrusher, and Scavenger who were working on a large communications array with a large satellite dish. Scrapper walked up to them.

"How is the construction of the communication array going?" asked Scrapper.

"Physically and internally it's almost complete" said Scavenger.

"Let me guess, there's one problem that brings everything down" said Scrapper. Scavenger reluctantly nodded. Scrapper sighed. "What is it?"

"We have no idea where Cybertron is exactly" replied Scavenger "For all we know it's on the complete other side of the galaxy" Scrapper walked over to the controls and examined.

"Couldn't an approximate position suffice?" asked Scrapper.

"No, it has to be exact" replied Scavenger.

"If it needs to be exact, why not get Hightower to deal with it?" asked Bonecrusher.

"Hightower is still busy reconstructing Megatron" replied Scrapper "Our lord is already upset that it's been delayed, we can't afford any further interruptions" He looked up at the satellite dish and noticed that it was moving somewhat. "What is it doing?"

"Right now it's scrolling around in search of Cybertron's exact coordinates" replied Scavenger.

"How long should it take?" asked Scrapper.

"Well, it varies upon position and—" replied Scavenger.

"Cut to the chase" said Scrapper "How long will it take to find Cybertron…approximately?"

"Approximately it can span from hours to days" replied Scavenger "It depends upon where the planet is located"

"That's not good enough" said Scrapper "We need to make communication as soon as possible"

"I'm afraid that this is the best option right now" said Scavenger. Scrapper looked at the communications array over and over again.

"Very well, we'll go with this option" said Scrapper "But I want communication the moment we find Cybertron. Therefore you shall all watch the screen for any sign of Cybertron"

"You expect us to stare at a screen all day?" said Long Haul "All three of us at the same time for a task that just one of us could do?"

"That is why I'd advise you'd take shifts" said Scrapper.

"I'll take it first" said Scavenger. He immediately turned around and manned the controls.

"And what about the rest of us?" asked Bonecrusher.

"Keep guard" said Scrapper "This communications array is everything and we can't afford to lose it. If you see any intruders, Autobot or Decepticon, make sure they don't escape"

"Kill them or take them prisoner?" asked Bonecrusher.

"Doesn't matter" replied Scrapper "Just make sure they don't escape. The last thing we need is Starscream or Prime causing problems for us"

"Well, at least it's something to do" said Long Haul.

"I'll be making regular checks" said Scrapper "Inform me of anything out of the ordinary"

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock was trapped within a cell with his arms chained against two large pillars. It was then that the cell door opened wide.

"Go away!" snarled Grimlock.

"Just visiting" said Mindwipe as he entered.

"I said GO AWAY!" snarled Grimlock as he lunged towards Mindwipe.

"After all this time, you still talk big" said Mindwipe "Any reasonable Cybertronian would have been broken by now, and yet you persist. I wonder why that is"

"If you start monologuing again, I'll rip your tongue out" said Grimlock.

"Now, now; insults and threats won't get you out" said Mindwipe.

"That wasn't a threat" said Grimlock.

"Nonetheless, this whole mess you've gotten yourself into can simply be undone" said Mindwipe "All you have to do is subject to me and only me and this stops; how about that?" Grimlock spat at his face.

"I'm more than you can handle and you know it" smirked Grimlock. Mindwipe growled and slashed him across the face.

"Stupid Autobot; you should have taken my offer the moment I gave you it!" snarled Mindwipe "But no more!"

"I thought you were trying to break me from now on" said Grimlock. Mindwipe grabbed him by the side of the head and pulled it up to optic level.

"I don't know how you resisted my mind control in the first place, but it will do you no good here" said Mindwipe.

"I told you that I'm sick of your monologues!" snapped Grimlock. Mindwipe smiled evilly and looked up at the pillars causing them to move several meters to the side, stretching Grimlock's arms in the process.

"Talk to me like that again and I'll have your arms pulled off" said Mindwipe "And as for breaking you, it will be a gradual process. All I have to do is wait and watch you as you're trapped and cannot escape. It'll seem like nothing at first, but eventually it will get to you and you will be driven over the edge until you're nothing at all" He placed his hands back onto the side of Grimlock's head. "Then you will be mine; mind, body, and soul!"

"As soon as I get out of here, I'll tear your arms out of their sockets" said Grimlock.

"You're saying that as if you will get out of there" said Mindwipe. He turned and left.

"Creep!" snarled Grimlock. He tried to pull the chains off but found that the pillars were too strong.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee lay chained to the floor unconscious. Eight legs slowly crept down next to her.

"Wake up, Arcee" said a voice which caused Arcee start to stir "Don't worry, you're not dead; at least, not yet" Arcee regained consciousness.

"Where am I?" asked Arcee.

"At the Initiative base" said the voice "After you were stunned, they placed you and the others on vehicles and drove you off"

"That voice…" said Arcee quietly "Who are you and what's happened to the others?"

"They're alive too" replied the voice "Just at a different part of the base. And as for who I am…" Airachnid lowered herself down upon her eight legs. "…I think you know already" A look of absolutely shock appeared upon Arcee's face.

"No!" said Arcee "It can't be you! You're…You're…"

"Imprisoned?" said Airachnid "You Autobots are all gullible"

"That wasn't you, was it?" said Arcee.

"You catch on real fast" said Airachnid sarcastically "It was necessary for appearances. All it took was a blank protoform which was just too easy to download my appearance onto it; it was only slightly more difficult to erase any potential mind that it may develop. But once I was done, I had a seemingly flawless duplicate that I could control remotely. For the last few weeks, I've been using her to cover myself while I was working with the Initiative"

"What for?" asked Arcee.

"Do you really think I would simply tell you?" said Airachnid whilst stroking Arcee's cheek "Not the best tactic to say the least" Arcee smirked.

"Doesn't matter anyway" said Arcee "The others will eventually get in here and bust us out. And once they do, you'll have nowhere to run"

"You're expecting Teletraan I to be able to pick you up" said Airachnid.

"Of course" said Arcee "I mean why not?" Airachnid smirked. "Wait, what have you done?"

"Just given the Initiative access to a jammer" replied Airachnid "Teletraan I can't pick you up through that, can it?"

"You…You…" said Arcee.

"Are you going to say something?" said Airachnid "Oh; by the way, they're probably already looking over your partner to see what they can find; you know, the yellow one" She began to stroke Arcee across the face. "I might just go in there to see what I can do"

"Don't you dare!" snapped Arcee.

"Maybe after they're done, I can drag his remains up here to keep you company" said Airachnid. Arcee clenched her teeth. "Just a thought" She transformed back into her robot mode and turned to the door. "Oh, and thanks for reminding me" She pulled out a remote and pressed it.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz watched Airachnid's clone's cell when she lifted her head up.

"Greetings, Autobots" said the clone.

"Woah!" said Jazz "Prowl, you'd better get in here now" Prowl rushed in.

"What is it?" asked Prowl.

"She…She spoke" said Jazz.

"What!?" exclaimed Prowl "Now? But…why would she wait until—"

"Shhh!" said Jazz before pointing over to the clone.

"I bet you were hoping for something more, something a little along the lines of…answers" said the clone "Well, I'd hate to disappoint. If you haven't already guessed, what you're looking at right now is not actually me but rather a copy that I was able to make"

"Copy!" said Prowl "I should've known!"

"I don't think she's finished yet" said Jazz.

"With that in mind, it's time to get to business" said the clone "I created this clone for two reasons: to keep up appearances…" A grenade retracted out of her chest. "…and to send you off with a little surprise. It's a shame really; if things were different, I could have found a better use for her" The grenade armed.

"Run!" exclaimed Jazz. He and Prowl turned and ran just as the explosion struck and blew them out of the hallway.

"What the heck happened!?' exclaimed Ratchet.

"Believe me, it's a long story" said Jazz.

"A long story that I'd like to know at once" said Ratchet.

"We never captured Airachnid" said Prowl "She allowed a clone of herself to get captured to cover herself"

"Then what was the explosion from?" asked Ratchet.

"It seems she's had enough time" replied Prowl "She planted a grenade in the clone's chest which got set off"

"Do you think there's a body left?" asked Ratchet.

"I doubt there's anything to examine left" replied Prowl "The clone was at ground zero; so if there's anything left, it's likely charred and crushed to dust"

"Do you think the other Dreads know about this?" asked Jazz.

"I don't know" replied Prowl "But Airachnid was known for her secretive nature, it's very likely she kept this under wraps"

"Prowl, come in" said Hound's voice from Teletraan I "Prowl?" Prowl walked over to Teletraan I.

"Acknowledged" said Prowl into Teletraan I "Have you found the Initiative's base yet?"

"We have" replied Hound.

 _Meanwhile_

Hound hid behind a large rock outside the Initiative's base. He peered out and noticed all the Initiative commandos entering and exiting the base with vehicles

"But there's so many of them" said Hound into his comlink. He looked at the base. "And it looks like it wasn't built for Transformers to freely roam. I don't think Mirage and I will be able to sneak into it"

"Pull back and get yourselves to safety, but stay relatively nearby" said Prowl out of his comlink "Don't risk yourselves just yet. Jazz and I will accompany you shortly"

"Got it" said Hound "Alright, Mirage; let's get out of here" There was no reply. "Mirage?" There was still no reply. "Mirage, isn't replying"

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl searched for Mirage's signal on Teletraan I but couldn't find anything.

"I don't believe it" said Prowl into Teletraan I "Teletraan can't pick up his signal at all"

"Are you sure?" asked Hound through Teletraan I.

"Why would I say it if I wasn't sure about it?" replied Prowl.

"Well…you have a point; I suppose" said Hound "But if his signal isn't coming up at all, then that means that—"

"We don't have time for that right now" said Prowl "Get to safety before you're spotted"

"Oh c'mon; give him just a moment" said Jazz.

"He can have a moment when he's waiting for us" said Prowl "You have to get out of there"

"Understood" said Hound.

"I don't believe you, Prowl" said Jazz "That…That was just cold, even for you"

"We don't know for sure that Mirage is actually dead or not" said Prowl "We only know that his signal isn't appearing; as you may know from the past, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're dead"

"So you're telling me that Mirage just suddenly teleported onto the _Nemesis_?" asked Jazz.

"Not quite" replied Prowl "I also noticed that Bumblebee, Arcee, Bulkhead, and Wheeljack aren't appearing either. Either they're all dead or they're within a signal jammer. And did I mention about how the Initiative probably got their information from someone? They might have just given them samples of our technology as well"

"Y'know, you walk a fine line between brilliant and psychotic" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Karaz entered Barricade's room.

"I told you I would return" said Karaz "Has anything out of the ordinary happened in my absence?"

"He's tried to struggle out a few times, but it's been unsuccessful" replied the surgeon.

"Then let us begin" said Karaz.

 _Meanwhile_

Mindwipe entered Grimlock's cell.

"Just checking up on you, Grimlock" said Mindwipe. He walked over to Grimlock and began to stroke the sides of his face. "After all, what's a gradual process without a few little…monologues?" Grimlock didn't reply. "Taking a quiet stance; not unexpected, but pathetic nonetheless. Need I mention about how many greater Autobots than you have fallen to me?" Grimlock still didn't reply. "You know, I might just make your crew appear in this room right now to remind you of everything you will never achieve. How does that make you feel?"

"You want to know how it makes me feel?" asked Grimlock "Come a little closer"

"What is it?" asked Mindwipe as he went in closer towards Grimlock. Suddenly, Grimlock gave him a powerful head-butt that sent him back against the wall.

"That's how it makes me feel" replied Grimlock "The solitude I can get used to. But listening to a little squirm like you talk about things all day whilst trying to fit into the boots too big for him; that's worse than a lifetime of torture"

"I told you…" said Mindwipe "…DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" The two pillars moved further apart and pulled Grimlock's arms with them. But as the pillars pulled outwards, Grimlock pulled inwards until he eventually ripped out of them. "No! This is impossible!"

"You think I'm stupid" said Grimlock "But not that stupid. You hate it when people burst your ego so setting you off was just too easy"

"You fool!" snarled Mindwipe. He morphed into his bat monster form.

" _I will not allow you to leave here…"_

"I wasn't asking for permission" said Grimlock. He leapt at Mindwipe who flew up into the air out of reach and perched up on one of the pillars. Grimlock walked back over to the pillars and ripped the chains out of them.

" _What are you doing…?"_

"None of your business" replied Grimlock. Mindwipe screeched and swooped down towards him, only for Grimlock to swing the chains at tie them around his feet. Mindwipe screeched again and flew straight out of the cell, dragging Grimlock along with him. As Mindwipe flew across the flaming wasteland, Grimlock slowly pulled himself along the chain until finally getting onto Mindwipe's back.

" _GET OFF ME!"_

"No!" snarled Grimlock. He continuously punched Mindwipe on the top of the head before grabbing him by the ears and sending him down towards the ground. But just before they hit the ground, there was a sudden flash and everything turned white.

 _Back to reality_

Grimlock opened his optics wide. He looked over and saw that Mindwipe lay unconscious on the floor. He looked over to his wrists to see that he was still shackled. He desperately tried to transform but found that he couldn't.

"You fool!" said Mindwipe "Those shackles jam out your t-cog, making transformation impossible. You cannot break through them" Grimlock bared his teeth and growled in absolute anger before transforming and ripping himself free of the shackles. "By the AllSpark!" Grimlock transformed back and grabbed him by the neck. "How…"

"My anger can break through anything!" snarled Grimlock. He saw his sword lying in the corner and walked over to it to pick it up. He then held it at Mindwipe's throat. "Now, let us discuss what you did to me back there"

"Not just yet" smirked Mindwipe. Suddenly, something rushed forward and rammed him into the wall.

"What in the—" said Grimlock before seeing what had hit him. Standing right in front of him was a large mechanical Triceratops with the same color scheme as Grimlock. "Slug!" A mechanical Pteranodon shrieked and swooped down and pushed him to the ground. "Swoop!" A mechanical Stegosaurus charged at him and knocked him against the wall with its tail spike. "Snarl!" A mechanical Apatosaurus reared up onto its hind legs and stamped onto him before pushing him off to the side. "Sludge!" As Grimlock got back onto his feet, the other members of his team gathered behind Mindwipe.

"I did say that you would see your team again" said Mindwipe.

"What have you done to them!?" snarled Grimlock.

"I improved them" said Mindwipe "Now, what will it be? You can either surrender and join us; or you could attack me, and go through them in the process" Grimlock looked over at the door.

"I'll take option three" said Grimlock. He turned to the door and ran out of it.

"After him!" snapped Mindwipe whilst pointing over at the door. Grimlock's crew ran after him.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee was chained to the floor of a room with several commandos overlooking him. A distant but almost silent thudding sound was heard approaching the room.

"Can you hear that?" asked a commando.

"Hear what?" asked another commando.

"It's like…footsteps" replied the first commando. Suddenly, he was pushed over and knocked out by something unseen.

"What the!?" exclaimed the second commando before getting knocked out as well. The commandos raised their guns.

"Don't fire until you get a clear view of it" said one of the commandos. One-by-one, the commandos got knocked out with many shooting wildly at the direction until they were all unconscious. Mirage appeared in front of Bumblebee, shaking off the bullets.

"Mirage!" said Bumblebee. Mirage kneeled down and pulled Bumblebee's chains off. "How'd you find the base"

"Prowl had Hound and I follow the Initiative's vehicles" said Mirage "I was able to sneak into the base without anyone noticing; it took a while, had to make sure no one spotted me"

"Good" said Bumblebee "But now we've got to find the others" It was then that they heard a loud screaming. "I think I have an idea on where to start"

 _A few minutes later_

As Karaz oversaw the surgeon tear Barricade open, the doors blew open as Bumblebee and Mirage entered.

"No!" exclaimed Karaz.

"You could have done that more subtly" said Mirage.

"I'm not the one with a cloak" said Bumblebee.

"How…" said Karaz "Never mind, shoot them!" As the commandos opened fire upon Bumblebee and Mirage, Karaz pulled a disk out of the computer, snuck down the platform, walked up to a wall, placed his hand on it to signal a hand scan which opened a secret passageway, and walked into it without anyone noticing.

"Do you think you can deal with the gunmen without killing them?" asked Bumblebee. Mirage nodded his head. "Good; then I'll release the prisoner" He turned and ran over to Barricade.

"What are you doing here?" asked Barricade.

"Oh…" said Bumblebee.

"What?!" said Barricade.

"Eh, never mind!" said Bumblebee. He ripped the chains off of Barricade who got up and turned his hands into his blasters. "No!" He pushed both of Barricade's blasters down. "No killing!"

"Just because you freed me doesn't mean that I'll abide by your Autobot customs" said Barricade. After Mirage had incapacitated each of the commandos, he walked back over to Bumblebee and Barricade.

"I thought you said we were going to save an Autobot" said Mirage.

"All I heard was the screaming" said Bumblebee while shrugging "So how did you end up here?"

"The _Nemesis_ got attacked by Grimlock and threw me out the window" replied Barricade "When I woke up, these insects had chained me up here and they started ripping me apart"

"Oh dear!" said Bumblebee. He looked over at the computer, walked up to it, and shot it with his blaster.

"What was that for?" asked Barricade.

"This group, the Initiative, they captured us for a reason" replied Bumblebee "It seems they want to explore Cybertronian technology, that's why they captured us. It looks like they decided to start with you"

"Well, now that's over…" said Barricade before raising his blasters "…we've got something else to adjourn to"

"Don't do this, Barricade" said Bumblebee.

"Were you expecting a medal when you freed me?" said Barricade "I'm sure Starscream would forgive my disappearance if I bring two Autobots back. And it doesn't matter whether they're alive or not"

"Barricade, I've seen what they can do" said Bumblebee "It may not be standard issue yet, but they've got technology that can bring us down. They were able to bring us down within an instant. Think; what chance do you have of getting out of here alone?" After several minutes, Barricade turned his blasters back into his hands.

"Fine!" said Barricade "But when this is over, don't expect any amnesty from me"

"I never did" said Bumblebee.

"So what's the next move?" asked Mirage.

"First, we'll find and release the others" replied Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Karaz arrived back into his office.

"What happened?" asked Airachnid.

"One of the prisoners have escaped and he's freed another" said Karaz. He slammed his fists onto the table in anger. "Damn it; we'll have to evacuate!"

"No, you don't" said Airachnid "We can still contain them"

"We haven't produced enough weapons to combat multiple targets in a more confined space" said Karaz.

"That's why I'm going to call for backup" said Airachnid. She got out another remote and pressed it.

 _Meanwhile in an unknown location_

A beeping came from a device that Crankcase held on his waist which he picked up and looked at it.

"What is that?" asked Flatline.

"Something very important" said Crankcase as he looked at the map on the device "And something I have to do now. Where are Runabout and Runamuck?"

"On guard duty at the other end of the ship" replied Flatline. Crankcase turned and left the lab. "Where are you going?"

"To do something that I have to do" replied Crankcase.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee ripped Bulkhead loose of the chains.

"Thanks, bro" said Bulkhead as he got himself back onto his feet.

"Is that all of them?" asked Barricade.

"As I recall, we still have Arcee to find" replied Wheeljack.

"Can't we just leave one of them?" asked Barricade.

"No we can't" said Bumblebee whilst darting for the exit "Let's go!"

 _Meanwhile_

A ground bridge opened at the front of the hanger with Crankcase, Runabout, and Runamuck walking out.

"What is this place?" asked Runamuck. A group of commandos raised their guns and pointed them at them.

"It's crawling with bugs!" said Runabout.

"You're right" said Runamuck whilst turning his hand into a blaster "Let's clear them out!"

"Good idea!" said Runabout whilst turning his hand into a blaster as well.

"Hold it!" said Crankcase "Don't shoot!"

"But they're going to shoot at us!" said Runabout.

"No, they won't" said Airachnid as she and Karaz entered "Have your men stand down"

"Stand down" said Karaz. The commandos reluctantly lowered their weapons. Airachnid walked over to Crankcase.

"We have work to do" said Airachnid.

 _Meanwhile_

As Arcee lay down on the ground, still chained up, Bumblebee and the others pulled open the door and entered.

"Someone need to be de-chained?" said Bumblebee.

"Bee!" said Arcee. Bumblebee rushed over to her, ripped her chains off, helped her up, and the two hugged.

"Get a room!" said Barricade whilst crossing his arms.

"Thank Primus you're safe" said Bumblebee.

"No, thank Primus you're safe" said Arcee "She didn't get to you"

"What are you talking about?" asked Bumblebee "Wait, why aren't they're any guards in here?"

"Bee, she's here" said Arcee.

"Who's here?" asked Bumblebee.

"Airachnid" replied Arcee.

"What?!" said Bumblebee "But we locked here up ages ago"

"That was a fake" replied Arcee "She's actually been here for the past month helping the Initiative out"

"So that's how they know so much about us" said Bumblebee.

"Can't we just go already?" said Barricade.

"Not yet" said Bumblebee "We still have to find Melody"

"What, the Human?" said Barricade.

"Yes" replied Bumblebee "Mirage, go outside and contact Prowl. Tell him to come in"

"Got it" said Mirage. He turned on his cloak and vanished.

"So that leaves the five of us" said Bulkhead as they walked out of the door.

"Don't move!" said a voice. They turned to see a group of Initiative commandos with Runabout and Runamuck.

"Wait, Runabout and Runamuck?" said Wheeljack "What are you two doing here?"

"Doesn't matter" replied Runabout "Finally some action!"

"You said it!" said Runamuck. They opened fire upon the five of them.

"Things just got weirder" said Bulkhead.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock busted his way to the top of the _Nemesis_.

"Finally!" said Grimlock. He instantly ran to the edge to jump off, only to realize that they were flying over the ocean.

"Nothing out here but miles and miles of saltwater" said a voice. Grimlock turned to see Mindwipe and the other members of his crew standing there. "There's no point in running, it will only tire you until you cannot fight anymore" He extended his hand out. "Join us and become something greater"

"You mean a puppet?" said Grimlock.

"No, a hive mind" said Mindwipe "One day, I will have everything in this galaxy under my control. I will have achieved something that Megatron, Starscream, or Optimus could ever achieve; complete control and stability. Join me and you can rule as a part of it" Grimlock looked back and forth between Mindwipe and the ocean.

"You know from before when I said I would tear your arms out if I ever got free?" said Grimlock "I don't want that anymore. When next we meet, I'm going to kill you" He leapt off of the ship and down towards the water below. At that moment, two Vehicons ran up to Mindwipe.

"Mindwipe, Starscream wishes to speak with you immediately" said one of the Vehicons.

"What is it about?" asked Mindwipe.

"He wouldn't say" replied the Vehicon.

"Very well then" said Mindwipe "Take me to him"

 _Meanwhile_

Mirage stood just outside the Initiative's base with his cloak still on.

"Make sure you don't get here too late" said Mirage quietly into his comlink.

"I'll inform Agent Bluestone so he can give us some backup" said Prowl out of his comlink "In the meantime, stay hidden and wait for us"

"Got it" said Mirage.

"And one more thing; I don't approve of you going against my orders" said Prowl "This is not to happen again" It was then that Mirage overheard voices coming from the hanger. He peaked out and saw Airachnid and Crankcase in there alone.

"My opinion remains the same; this plan was both unnecessary and ridiculous" said Crankcase "I had the Autobot's base in the palm of my hand and you had me give it up for…for this"

"And how long were you expecting to hold onto it for?" said Airachnid "The Autobots would have thought of a way around it eventually. Besides; it's better to keep at least some of them alive for the time being"

"Using these Humans to capture Autobots and Decepticons so we can blackmail them off?" said Crankcase.

"Precisely" said Airachnid "Prime is soft, he'll bow down to any demands if you have at least one of his Autobots; and we have four"

"And what about Barricade?" said Crankcase "He's just a grunt, there's no way Starscream will submit for him"

"It's a minor setback" said Airachnid "I was hoping they'd capture a more prominent Decepticon"

"You hoped they'd capture?" said Crankcase "You're letting them run on a very long leash, too long"

"And what's wrong about that?" said Airachnid "It means they suspect less"

"You've already told them all about us and handed them some of our technology" said Crankcase "It's only a matter of time before they start getting different ideas"

"That's assuming they outlive their usefulness" said Airachnid "But let's change the subject. You sure seem determined to rule the Decepticons"

"It's better in my hands than in Starscream's" said Crankcase.

"That's true" said Airachnid "But it stems from something else, something greater. I've often heard you mention that you have more right to the throne than Starscream has, and yet I've never seen it on record of being close to Megatron. But after a while; I began to realize something, and then everything became crystal clear…you're Megatron's son, aren't you?" Crankcase narrowed his eyes. "You don't need to answer me; your expression says it all. But it also begs another question; why not approach him about it when he was still—"

"Enough!" snapped Crankcase "Let's just say that I have reason to…stay away from Megatron"

"Humiliation?" asked Airachnid.

"If existing is humiliation, then yes" replied Crankcase.

"Of course" said Airachnid in an almost wicked tone "You were a child who he never intended to have, and thus you were deprived of—"

"Listen, don't ever bring this up again" said Crankcase "And if you do, I will kill you"

"Crankcase, this is Runamuck" said Runamuck through his comlink "We had the Autobots cornered but they slipped out and appear to be on their way back to the hanger. They're heading your way"

"Chase them down here" said Crankcase into his comlink "We'll take them down from here"

"Got it" said Runamuck.

"Karaz, get down to the hanger immediately, and bring the hostage with you" said Airachnid into her comlink.

"Hostage?" said Crankcase.

"I'll explain it to you later" said Airachnid. At that moment, Bumblebee and the others drove right into the hanger and transformed.

"Finally!" said Bumblebee "Let's get…oh dear!"

"Airachnid!" said Arcee. Airachnid merely smirked.

"Crankcase?" said Bumblebee "What are you doing here?"

"That doesn't matter" said Crankcase "What matters is that this is as far as you're going to get. But it doesn't have to end in energon-shed; surrender now, and we will spare you"

"We vastly outnumber you" said Bumblebee "What's more; we don't have to beat you, we just need to get past you"

"And what about you, Barricade?" asked Crankcase "You're fine with siding with these Autobots"

"As much as I hate working with them, you're a criminal and one who doesn't show up often" said Barricade "If I deliver you back to Starscream; I'll get more than an acknowledgement, I'll get a promotion"

"Yeah" said Bumblebee "And as I said before, it's basically five versus two"

"I wouldn't say so" said Karaz as he entered. Behind him came a commando who held a gun to Melody's head, who was still gagged and handcuffed.

"Melody!" said Arcee.

"Not so fast" said Airachnid "Say or do anything rash, and we put your little pet down" Arcee turned back to Airachnid and clenched her teeth. "It's just life" At that moment, Runabout, Runamuck, and the other commandos entered the hanger.

"Don't move, Autobots!" said Runabout whilst raising his blaster.

"That should even the odds out better" said Airachnid.

"Count us then" said a voice. Everything turned to see Prowl, Jazz, Breakaway, Hound, and Mirage standing out the front of the hanger.

"This still doesn't change anything" said Crankcase.

"Maybe not, but right now the military is on its way" said Prowl. Karaz glare grew hostile.

"You say that as if I should be concerned by it" said Crankcase.

"Maybe you don't, but the Initiative should" said Prowl "They'll outgun you; and if they identify any of you, you're done for. So I guess we'll just wait here"

"Constantly in a Mexican standoff" said Jazz.

"Oh shut up!" snapped Runabout whilst stepping forward and shooting at Jazz who dodged the shot "Let's just fight already!"

"Yeah!" said Runabout. They charged over at the Autobots.

"Wait, you two!" snapped Crankcase. Within what seemed like a matter of seconds, a huge battle broke out within the hanger. As Airachnid attempted to sneak off, Arcee retracted out her blades and leapt at her. "Let's see what we can do!" She slashed down at Airachnid.

"Yes…indeed!" said Airachnid whilst transforming into her spider form and attacking Arcee.

 _Meanwhile_

Mindwipe stepped into Starscream's throne room.

"You summoned me, Lord Starscream" said Mindwipe.

"It's come to my attention that not only has Grimlock escaped, you failed to control him" said Starscream.

"Your shackles didn't work on him" said Mindwipe "If it weren't for that, I would have controlled him eventually"

"Enough" said Starscream "I've come to a decision, four's enough for me; instead of controlling Grimlock, we'll destroy him"

"Are you sure?" asked Mindwipe "Given time—"

"Listen here, I've lost my patience" said Starscream "If you can't control him, then nothing can"

"It's a shame that we have to tie things up this way" said Mindwipe "But very well" He turned to leave but two Vehicons stepped into his way. "What is the meaning of this?"

"You're not going anywhere" said Starscream "Did you really think Blackout was my only suspect for missing Vehicons? After they returned, they mentioned something about…barely remembering anything. And as you know, I hate it when people plot against me"

"If that is so, why keep me around?" asked Mindwipe.

"I needed some way to control Grimlock and his team" said Starscream "But it seems I've given you too much freedom"

"You just made a foolish mistake" said Mindwipe. He glared at the Vehicons that surrounded him but nothing happened. "How…why isn't anything happening?"

"Did you really think I would bring someone like you aboard my ship and not have a way to defend myself?" said Starscream "Soundwave developed a way to counteract your mind control and made sure that I and several others were protected. But after the missing Vehicon incident, I realized I needed to do much more; so I made sure every Decepticon was protected from your gaze. Checkmate" The Vehicons closed in on Mindwipe.

"Hurt me and you'll unleash the Lightning Strike Coalition" said Mindwipe.

"I'm not going to hurt you" said Starscream "I'm just going imprison you and make sure you do everything I say"

"No!" snarled Mindwipe. He transformed and flew straight out of the room.

"Follow him, and tell everyone not to injure him" said Starscream.

 _Meanwhile_

As the battle in the hanger raged onwards, Karaz and the commando retreated back with Melody still their hostage.

"Quickly, we have to get out of here before the military show up" said Karaz. Suddenly, Melody jabbed the commando in the stomach and ran off. The commando raised his gun at her. "No, we have no time! We have to get to the helicopters immediately" The two of them retreated off. Meanwhile, Arcee clashed with Airachnid on top of the crates.

"This has worked out so well, hasn't it?" said Airachnid.

"You caused all of this and for what?" said Arcee "You've just given both sides another enemy" Suddenly, Airachnid shot out webbing and stuck Arcee to the wall.

"You know very well that I don't care what happens to either Bots or Cons" said Airachnid. Arcee transformed and drove straight out of the webbing, ramming Airachnid who leapt back up onto the crates. As Bumblebee battled past Runabout and Runamuck, he saw Melody standing over by the crates.

"Melody!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He rushed over, grabbed her, and ungagged her. "You alright?"

"Yeah" replied Melody "Watch out!" Suddenly, Crankcase leapt down onto Bumblebee stabbed him in the shoulder with a blade.

"You Autobots have been a thorn in my side for too long!" said Crankcase. Mirage wriggled free of Runabout and Runamuck, turned his hand into a blaster, and aimed it at Crankcase.

"Good!" said Hound "Get him, Mirage!" Mirage was about to shoot but for some reason didn't. "Mirage?" As Mirage stood there staring blankly at Crankcase, Jazz and Breakaway leapt onto the Decepticon and wrestled him off of Bumblebee. At that moment, Prowl walked up to Mirage and pushed him.

"What was that for?" asked Mirage.

"Bumblebee could have died" said Prowl "You should have shot"

"I tried to, but—" said Mirage.

"That's not good enough" said Prowl "Next time you have a chance to shoot a Decepticon, take it" As Crankcase battled Jazz and Breakaway, a bright light shot at him. Everyone looked out at a group of helicopters and US soldiers standing outside the hanger.

"This is Special Agent Bluestone" said Bluestone "Surrender now, we have you completely surrounded"

"You heard the big man, stand down" said Jazz.

"I don't take orders from Autobots or bugs!" snapped Crankcase. He aimed his ground bridge generator to a corner, opened a portal, and ran through it. "Runabout, Runamuck!" Runabout and Runamuck turned, transformed, and drove into the portal. As Arcee and Airachnid brawled, Airachnid turned to go through the portal but was blocked off by Arcee.

"Oh no, you're not getting out of this that easily!" said Arcee. Airachnid looked over at an RAH-66 Comanche in the corner and smirked.

"I don't think so!" said Airachnid. She head-butted Arcee, turned to the helicopter, scanned it, and transformed into it. Arcee grabbed onto her by the end and tried to slow her down, only to end up being bashed off in the process. As Airachnid flew through the ground bridge, Arcee got herself up and ran after her, only for the portal to close.

"No!" exclaimed Arcee. She knelt down onto her knees and began punching the ground, her optics filling with tears. "No…" Bumblebee walked over to her and held her by the forearms.

"Arcee…" said Bumblebee. Arcee slowly calmed down. "Arcee, it's alright" Arcee turned around and hugged him tight, her face now dripping with tears. Melody looked on and stayed where she was, knowing that she had to give the two of them a wide berth.

 _Meanwhile_

"You two cost me everything!" snapped Crankcase.

"But…we just wanted some action" said Runabout.

"I am in charge here, which means you play by my rules" said Crankcase "You can fight when I say you can; but when I tell you not to, you must comply with no complaints. Now be gone, you two; and think about what I said" Runabout and Runamuck exited the room.

"They're a handful those two" said Airachnid "A bit like bratty children. It's times like this that I prefer to work sol—" Crankcase grabbed her by the wrist.

"Listen, I don't know what got into your head about this; but from here on, I make every plan and organize every move we make" said Crankcase as he tightened his grip "No exceptions!" He pushed Airachnid off and left.

 _Meanwhile_

Karaz flew off into the distance in his helicopter.

"Head back to our alternative base" said Karaz "We're to meet the others there. It was fortunate that the battle was enough to cover our escape. We've just narrowly achieved a victory"

"But sir, we barely achieved anything today" said the Initiative pilot next to him "The transformers escaped"

"That may be so" said Karaz as he got out his disk "However; while dissecting one of the specimens, we were able to get basic scans of his anatomy and save it onto this disk. We've taken the first step on the journey to gain a great advantage, over both the government and the transformers alike"

 _Meanwhile_

"There's no sign of any Initiative members anywhere" said a soldier "Everything in the base has either been taken or destroyed"

"They're obviously determined to cover their tracks" said Bluestone "Keep looking; they retreated in a hurry, perhaps they left something"

"It will be done" said the soldier.

"So what now?" asked Wheeljack.

"About what?" asked Breakaway. Wheeljack gestured subtlety towards Barricade.

"There's no need to do that, I already know that you're talking about me" said Barricade "But don't worry, I think I've had enough for one day; I'll find a remote location and call for the _Nemesis_ " He turned to leave and started walking off into the sunset. "But don't expect me to go soft on you ever again"

"We're making a big mistake" said Prowl "We can't just let him off like this"

"Nah" said Jazz "He chose to leave instead of attacking us; in his own way, I think he says "thank you""

 _Meanwhile_

"This would never have happened if you hadn't showed your hand this early" said Slipstream.

"I had to do it sometime" said Starscream.

"And because of your impatience, we just gained a new enemy" said Slipstream "He and the rest of Grimlock's team are gone; we have to find him before it's too late" As they entered the bridge, they found that all of the other Decepticons stood there.

"Wait, what are all you doing here?" asked Starscream.

"They're just here for the meeting" said a voice "The one that you two missed" Blackout walked up to them.

"Blackout, what are you doing here?" snapped Starscream.

"While you were making poor decisions, I've been up here telling your crew all about the facts of life" said Blackout.

"I warned you not to meddle!" snapped Starscream.

"And you expected me to be intimidated by it?" said Blackout.

"Enough of this; seize him!" snapped Starscream. The other Decepticons did nothing. "Are you deaf? I said seize him!" The other Decepticons still did nothing. "What did you say to them?"

"Only that this is between you and me, and only that" replied Blackout "They aren't making a move until this is over, because they want to make sure that they're on the winning side"

"This is treason, Blackout" said Slipstream.

"Is it?" said Blackout "As I recall, you two willingly allowed one of the most dangerous Cybertronians aboard this ship; and because of you, he's now on the loose"

"If you think we're just going to let you—" said Slipstream. Suddenly, she and Starscream were electrocuted and fell to the ground unconscious. Blackout walked over to them and grinned triumphantly.

"I never understood what Megatron ever saw in you" said Blackout. Suddenly, Soundwave grabbed him by the arm. "What are you doing?" He pushed Soundwave off who reeled out his tentacles.

"Laserbeak, Ravage: Eject" said Soundwave "Operation: Assistance" Laserbeak and Ravage leapt out of his chest.

"I never thought I'd see you of all Decepticons standing up for Starscream" said Blackout.

"I cannot allow you to take the throne by unofficial means" said Soundwave "If such methods are used; a potential power vacuum will open, which will have negative repercussions—" Suddenly, he, Laserbeak, and Ravage were electrocuted and fell to the ground unconscious. Lugnut stepped out of the shadows holding a baton with electric sparks flashing out of it.

"I never did like his cold presence" said Blackout "Take them to the cells. And make sure that Soundwave's Mini-Cons are far away from him" Lugnut grabbed Soundwave whilst various Vehicons grabbed Starscream, Slipstream, Laserbeak, and Ravage and they left the bridge. "Things are about to change for us Decepticons, and it's going to be for the better. No more holding back; it's time to hit our enemies hard and where it hurts"

 _Meanwhile_

Lugnut and the Vehicons brought Starscream and the others to the cells and threw them in individually.

"Megatron should never have trusted you" said Lugnut as he closed Soundwave's cell over.

 _Meanwhile_

"What news is there?" asked Scrapper as he walked over to the communications array.

"Still nothing I'm afraid" said Scavenger. Scrapper looked into screen and saw nothing but haywire. "But these things take time, so—" Scrapper slammed his fists onto the array. "Take it easy"

"We don't have time" said Scrapper "The last thing we need is more setbacks. Oh, Lord Megatron is not going to like this"

"Who…this…" said a voice from the screen. Scrapper ran over and saw that the haywire screen was slowly forming shapes. "I am…ting the connection so communication can become easier"

"Who is this?" asked Scrapper. The shapes around began forming a square-like object that was quickly covered purple and at the center was a large red circle.

"This is Shockwave of Cybertron" said Shockwave "What is it you want?"

 **Hellman76** : Omega Supreme will appear in the series eventually.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : I hope this chapter shed some light upon your questions in the last one.

 **kira444** : I haven't read much of _Nefarious_ , but I got the idea from there; but they'll be more modelled after MECH. Plus, I like the name Initiative.


	22. Incoming Blackout

_The Ark_

Bumblebee stood in the training room when a group of Vehicon holograms appeared and raised their blasters towards him. Just as they shot, Bumblebee ducked turned his hands into his blasters, and rushed towards them. He kicked the first one down, shot the second one in the chest, and finally shot the last few down. Arcee, Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Breakaway, and Hound applauded him.

"Great job, Bee" said Arcee as Bumblebee walked up to her. She gave him a slight peck on the cheek. "Alright, who's next?"

"My turn!" said Bulkhead. As he stepped out to the center of the room, a group of Vehicon holograms appeared and raised their blasters towards him. Bulkhead's hands turned into his maces which he shot out as wrecking balls and struck down all the Vehicons at once.

"I wonder where Mirage is right now?" said Hound.

 _Meanwhile_

"Are you sure you heard what you heard?" asked Prowl.

"I did" said Mirage "Why would I lie about it?" Underneath his visor, Prowl squinted his eyes.

"Still, it's quite a lot to believe" said Ratchet "I mean, he's Megatron's son?"

"That would explain his sense of entitlement" said Ironhide.

"But it's still confusing" said Optimus "Why are we only learning about this now; why hasn't it come up in the past before?"

"You're saying that as if you personally know Megatron" said Mirage.

"I did once" said Optimus "Or at least I thought I did"

"Wait; Mirage, you mentioned that Airachnid hinted that Megatron didn't want to have Crankcase, correct?" said Jazz. Mirage nodded his head. "Perhaps that would explain it; he wasn't a true heir to Megatron, rather something he had when he wasn't in the right mind. I mean; if he had a son who was legitimate, he'd have him as his second-in-command over Starscream" At that moment, Agent Bluestone appeared on Teletraan I.

"What is it, Agent Bluestone?" asked Optimus.

"We've received various reports of the _Nemesis_ in your area, Prime" replied Bluestone "It's getting dangerously close to the city"

"Acknowledged, we'll make sure it doesn't get any closer" said Optimus. Bluestone nodded his head and the transmission ended. Optimus then pressed Teletraan I's intercom button. "All Autobots, back to the bridge immediately" Within a few minutes, Bumblebee, Arcee, and the others rushed back and gathered around Teletraan I.

"What is it, Optimus?" asked Bumblebee.

"Agent Bluestone has just given me a report that the _Nemesis_ has been sighted near us" replied Optimus "I'm not sure why it's here, we're to find it and observe it at all times to make sure it doesn't find the _Ark_ or do anything aggressive"

"What if it attacks the Humans?" asked Hound.

"That is unlikely" replied Prowl.

"And why's that?" asked Hound.

"The key to survival for both Autobots and Decepticons alike is secrecy" replied Optimus "A direct attack on civilization will expose us and take away that secrecy. Megatron understood this, as does Starscream; which is why they would attempt anything that rash"

"Got all of that?" said Prowl "Well, it's time to sort out a schedule and patrols. And due to security reasons; for the time being, no one is to enter the base without the use of a ground bridge. We can't afford to risk being foll—" At that moment, there was a loud clanging on the door which caused everyone to turn their heads to its direction. Prowl turned his hand into a blaster. "Everyone, get ready" He walked over to the door, opened it, and aimed his blaster at it. Standing before him was Grimlock. "What?"

"Optimus, I need your help" said Grimlock.

 **Incoming Blackout**

 _The Nemesis_

Starscream lay in his cell, meaninglessly scratching the wall.

"Can you just stop that?" said Slipstream who sat in the cell next to him.

"It's not as if there's anything else to do" said Starscream.

"No kidding" said Slipstream "We should have locked up Blackout ages ago"

"I know, you keep saying that" said Starscream.

"And why didn't we do it?" said Slipstream "Oh, maybe because you underestimated him"

"Are you seriously going to bring that up again?" said Starscream "Besides; if you seriously concerned about him, you could have just said something" Slipstream was about to say something but couldn't think of anything.

"ERRR!" snarled Slipstream. At that moment, the doors to their cells slid open with Barricade standing in the entrance.

"Barricade, what are you doing here?" asked Starscream as he stood up and walked over to him.

"I have to make this quick" replied Barricade "You three have to get out of here fast"

"What is it?" asked Slipstream.

"Blackout's gone crazy; he's going to attack a city" said Barricade.

"But that will expose our identity to the public and make everything more difficult" said Starscream "What is he trying to do?"

"No time to explain" said Barricade "We have to get you out of here before—" At that moment, a group of Vehicons approached them.

"You, halt!" snapped one of the Vehicons as their hands turned into blasters.

"Run, I'll hold them off!" said Barricade whilst turning his hands into his blasters.

"But how are we supposed to stop him?" asked Slipstream.

"Find the Autobots" replied Barricade "If they're desperate enough, they'll help you" Starscream, Slipstream, and Soundwave transformed and flew off out of the ship. As Barricade fought back, he was quickly overrun and captured. As the Vehicons pulled him back up, Blackout walked up to him.

"I never expected such betrayal, especially from you" said Blackout "Why did you free Starscream?"

"Because you're idea is insane" said Barricade "We'll have the whole world against us"

"Clearly you do not understand what must be done" said Blackout "Throw him in a cell" The Vehicons threw Barricade into one of the cells and closed the door over. "We'll have to step up our timetable. We'll attack at once"

 _Meanwhile_

"What are you doing here?" asked Prowl.

"I told you, I've come for help" replied Grimlock.

"And given how you apparently "don't need us", I've got a hard time believing that" said Prowl.

"What is it you need help with, Grimlock?" asked Optimus.

"It all started several days ago" replied Grimlock "I was tracking down the _Nemesis_ , but it was growing tiresome; so I instead found a Decepticon to open a ground bridge for me to enter"

"I heard Barricade mention that you attacked the _Nemesis_ " said Bumblebee.

"That I did" said Grimlock "I got as far as the bridge and literally got my hands upon Starscream when Soundwave took me out. That's when Starscream handed me over to Mindwipe"

"Mindwipe!" said Breakaway.

"What's he doing with Starscream?" asked Prowl.

"He's always been there" replied Grimlock "He's the one who tried to convince me to work with Starscream when I first arrived here. Mindwipe tried to control me, but I broke free"

"How did you break free?" asked Prowl.

"Honestly, I don't know" replied Grimlock "But once I was free, I discovered something; Mindwipe has control of my crew. I only just escaped"

"Mindwipe has control of the rest of your crew?" said Prowl "And they're all—"

"Yes, of course they are!" snapped Grimlock.

"Then the _Nemesis_ has just become the least of our worries" said Optimus "We have to find Mindwipe and the rest of the Lightning Strike Coalition"

"Man, that's a mouthful" said Jazz.

"There's more" said Grimlock "After I escaped, I tracked the _Nemesis_ for days until I found myself on the outskirts of the city near here"

 _Grimlock's flashback_

Grimlock walked to the top of a hill when he heard an engine noise approaching him. He immediately hid behind the hill as two Vehicons drove up and transformed.

" _I found a pair of Vehicons just exiting the city"_

Grimlock retracted out his double-barreled blaster.

" _I was about to take them out myself and find a way back onto the Nemesis. But then…they started talking"_

"Squad #5 to Blackout, we've finished our patrol of the city" said one of the Vehicons into his comlink.

"Have you spotted anything?" asked Blackout out of his comlink.

"We have" replied the Vehicon "We got a brief glimpse of Mindwipe; he's in the city" Grimlock's optics widened "When should we organize the assault?"

"We'll start it tonight" replied Blackout "Come back to the ship and explain the details further"

"Yes my lord" replied the Vehicon "Let's go back" The two Vehicons transformed and drove off with Grimlock looking on carefully.

 _Back to reality_

"I guess that would explain why the _Nemesis_ has been hanging around here lately" said Jazz

"Blackout?" said Ironhide "Since when was he in charge?"

"Don't ask me" replied Grimlock.

"Why come to us?" said Prowl "Last time we met, you seemed pretty convinced that you could handle everything yourself"

"You really do think I'm stupid; don't you, Boy Scout?" said Grimlock "I can't blend into the Humans' environment; and even if I did find him, what am I supposed to do then? He has my crew, and I'm not risking their lives" Prowl sighed.

"So how are we supposed to capture Mindwipe?" asked Hound.

"I'm not sure if we can" replied Prowl "I've seen what he can do; not only can he control Cybertronians, but Humans too. If he finds the right one, he can just send them into the Pentagon and order a nuclear strike. He's too dangerous"

"I had never hoped it would come to this, but we may have no choice" said Optimus "Mindwipe must be destroyed"

"But how are we supposed to find him?" asked Bulkhead.

"Blackout's going to tear the city apart, so he'll do most of the work for you" replied Grimlock.

"Optimus, you may want to look at this" said Ratchet. Optimus walked over to Teletraan I where a live video of the _Nemesis_ approaching Carson City was playing. "Looks like the attack has begun"

"Open a ground bridge for us" said Optimus "We have to get there immediately"

"Optimus, even with all of us involved, I don't think we can defend an entire city on our own, especially for the whole night" said Prowl "It's suicide"

"I know we can't" said Optimus "But we can at least stand our ground; and if we don't do anything, we'll only ensure the destruction" Ratchet opened the ground bridge.

"It should be close enough" said Ratchet.

"Contact Agent Bluestone" said Optimus "Tell him to evacuate the city and provide backup"

"Will do, Optimus" said Ratchet.

"Autobots, transform and roll out!" said Optimus. He and the other Autobots transformed and drove through the portal, coming out at the outskirts of Carson City. The _Nemesis_ flew past them.

"So Blackout is going to lead an assault upon the whole city just to find Mindwipe?" said Arcee.

"And my team" said Grimlock "I swear; if he lays a single blaster bolt or blade in their direction, I'll cut him off at the forehead!"

"Save it for when we meet him" said Prowl "Besides; our primary target isn't Blackout, it's Mindwipe. If he gets away, the whole world will be at great risk"

"Which is why we're not going to let him get away" said Jazz.

"Indeed, Jazz" said Optimus "Let's get to work"

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout stood aboard the bridge of the _Nemesis_ and overlooked the city.

"My lord, we have assembled the assault force" said Skywarp.

"Then let the attack begin" said Blackout.

 _Meanwhile_

A group of Vehicon jets flew out of the _Nemesis_ and towards the city.

"That is definitely not a good sign" said Bulkhead.

"We have to stop them before they cause too much damage" said Optimus.

"Prime, this is Agent Bluestone" said Bluestone out of his comlink "I got the message from Ratchet; we've evacuated most of the city, but there are still people trapped in there. I'm not sure if we can defend them all"

"We'll do whatever we can" said Optimus into his comlink.

"Also, I've got some air support in" said Bluestone. Optimus looked over and saw various jet fighters fly in. "We'll help keep the Decepticons at bay"

"Make sure you stay a safe distance" said Optimus.

"Got it" said Bluestone.

"Prowl, split the Autobots up into teams to defend different parts of the city" said Optimus "At all costs, we must defend the Humans who are still trapped"

"And where are you going?" asked Prowl.

"Grimlock and I will go in and search for any sign of Mindwipe" replied Optimus "This madness might be enough for him to escape out of" He and Grimlock transformed and went down into the city.

"Okay; let's divide up evenly" said Prowl "Bulkhead, Wheeljack, Mirage; take the left side of the city. Bumblebee, Arcee, Hound; take the center. Jazz, Ironhide, and I will take the right side. Breakaway, fly around the city and help the incoming air support; but when you shoot the Decepticons down, make sure they don't crash into any of the buildings. They're may still be people inside"

"You got it" said Breakaway. He transformed and flew off.

"As for the rest of you, let's move out" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

"Lord Blackout, we've received sightings of Autobots in the vicinity" said a Vehicon at the controls.

"Typical of Prime" said Blackout "I don't know how he found out about this so quickly, but he's just led himself and his whole team into death"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee, Arcee, and Hound drove down the street, a group of Vehicon jets flew down and began shooting at them.

"We've got trouble" said Bumblebee. Suddenly, Breakaway flew past and shot down several of the Vehicons.

"Well, at least we have some form of backup" said Arcee. Suddenly, Dead End drove up between them and began bumping them to the side.

"Oh no!" said Bumblebee.

"I hate to do this, but I have to do something" said Dead End.

"Do what?" said Bumblebee "Bore us with your monologues on how everything is pointless?"

"Not exactly" replied Dead End. Hailstorm drove up in front of them and fired several rockets at them.

"Watch out!" said Arcee. The three of them split to the side to avoid the rockets and transformed. "Now that was just too close"

"It's about to get closer!" said Hailstorm as he transformed. A group of Vehicon cars drove up to them, transformed, and started shooting at them.

"Got any holograms handy?" asked Bumblebee.

"They tend to work better when no one knows where they come from" replied Hound.

"Okay, right" said Bumblebee.

 _Meanwhile_

Bulkhead and Wheeljack fought past various Vehicons.

"Geez, these guys just don't stop" said Wheeljack. Bulkhead turned his hands into his maces and swung them around, beating the Vehicons around him.

"Just like the training room" said Bulkhead. A Vehicon snuck up behind them and aimed his blaster at them before suddenly being sliced down by something unseen. Mirage reappeared and walked over to them.

"That cloaking device is really useful" said Wheeljack.

"Yes, as you keep saying" said Mirage. At that moment, Lugnut flew above them, transformed, and plummeted down torwards them with his explosive pad ready.

"Oh scrap!" said Bulkhead. The three of them slid out of the way as Lugnut landed and created an explosion. "Well, it's been a long time since we met"

"Then get ready for one heck of a beating!" said Lugnut. He turned his hand into his battle mace and charged at Bulkhead and the two clashed.

"Wow; same old Lugnut, same old tricks" said Bulkhead.

"Then try this one" said Lugnut. He transformed and flew at Bulkhead, blasting across the streets and slamming him against the wall of a building. He then transformed and began to constantly punch Bulkhead in the face. "I'm stronger than you, Bulkhead! Better than you! I always have been and always will be!" At that moment, Wheeljack ran up to him and placed a device on his back which zapped him and caused him to collapse.

"Well, at least we're smarter; that's one thing" said Bulkhead "So what did you use, Wheeljack?"

"Little invention I made called "Zapper-Planters"" replied Wheeljack "Just place it on the individual and they're instantly out. Been looking for a good time to test it"

"Nice!" said Bulkhead. The two of them looked down at the unconscious Lugnut. "What are we going to do with him? I mean, it's not like we can leave him here or bring him with us"

"It doesn't matter" said Mirage as he walked up to them "We have to find more Vehicons and stop them"

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl shot back at a group of Vehicons and hid behind an alleyway.

"There's too many of them" said Prowl "We have to think of something" Ironhide looked to the side and noticed a dumpster, which made him smirk.

"Stand back" said Ironhide. He grabbed the dumpster and threw it out towards the Vehicons, hitting each one of them. "Talk about taking out the trash!"

"That was a skillful idea" said Prowl "But from this point, it would be better to avoid disturbing Human structures and objects" Prowl peered to the side and looked out in the distance.

"Uh…thank you, Ironhide; you're welcome" said Ironhide quietly to himself.

"He didn't seem very happy with you" said Jazz "Then again, he never is really"

"Yeah, that's his highest compliment" said Ironhide.

"I think we're good to go" said Prowl "Let's move out"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and Grimlock rushed through the streets when a group of Vehicons flew down, transformed, and landed in front of them.

"Watch out!" said Optimus. He skidded to a stop, transformed, retracted out his battle mask, turned his hands into his ion blasters, and shot down various Vehicons. Grimlock charged forward and tore the Vehicons apart before transforming and decapitating various ones with his sword.

"These Decepticons are just slowing us down" said Grimlock.

"That's hardly any of our worries" said Optimus whilst retracting his battle mask back "They're attacking randomly, which implies heavily that they don't know where Mindwipe is"

"Then why attack at all?" asked Grimlock.

"They must not have meant the exact location but rather the general area where he was hidden" replied Optimus "This attack must be an attempt to draw him out into the open, but it could also allow him to escape"

"If Mindwipe even tries to sneak out of here with my team—" said Grimlock.

"We'll stop him" said Optimus "We just need patience"

"If we wait too long, we'll either lose him to the Decepticons or allow him to escape" said Grimlock "That's where your patience will lead you"

"I didn't say anything about ignoring the problem" said Optimus "We just need to find them before the Decepticons, and we need to make sure they don't escape"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" asked Grimlock.

"If anyone gets too close in a threatening manor to where Mindwipe is hiding, he'll probably defend himself with your team. Autobots, keep an eye out for Grimlock's team. If we can spot them, then we might find out where Mindwipe is hiding. But make sure to stay away from his gaze" At that moment, there was a loud screech.

"That sound…" said Grimlock "It's familiar" He ran off.

"Grimlock, wait!" said Optimus whilst running after him.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway flew through the sky and shot down Vehicons.

"Can't you Decepticons just leave Humans alone?" said Breakaway. Suddenly, a loud sonic boom hit the air like a ton of bricks. "What on Cybertron—" Suddenly, Skywarp teleported beside him and pushed him to the side.

"Miss me?" taunted Skywarp.

"You just had to pull that old trick again, didn't you?" said Breakaway.

"You know very well that he does" said Thundercracker as he flew down next to Breakaway.

"C'mon, Thundercracker" said Breakaway "You're seriously doing what this maniac is telling you?"

"I may not care much for the Decepticon cause, but I'm joining the Autobots any time soon" said Thundercracker.

"I'm guessing that's a no" said Breakaway.

"You're real smart, aren't you?" said Thundercracker sarcastically.

"Can't we just kill him already!?" snapped Skywarp. He started firing at Breakaway who flew off. "Get him!" He and Thundercracker flew after Breakaway.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock ran over to a large alleyway and peered out.

"Grimlock, what is—" said Optimus.

"Quiet!" said Grimlock quietly. Optimus peered out and saw Swoop attacking a group of Vehicons.

"Is that—" asked Optimus.

"Yes" replied Grimlock "That's Swoop, perhaps the most cool-headed of us" After Swoop finished off the Vehicons, he let out an ear-splitting cry and flew off.

"He's probably heading back to Mindwipe" said Optimus. "Let's follow him"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bumblebee and Arcee fought Dead End, Hailstorm grabbed Hound and slammed him into a building.

"How does it feel to die, Autobot?" said Hailstorm.

"I don't know" said Hound "You haven't actually kill me yet" Hailstorm continuously punched him across the face before grabbing him and slamming him onto the ground.

"You asked for it!" said Hailstorm. He turned his hands into blaster cannons and was about to fire when something electrocuted him from behind and caused him to collapse onto the ground. Everyone stopped when Soundwave walked up to them and reeled back his tentacles.

"How…How did you get out?" said Dead End as he backed off. As Hailstorm got himself up, he noticed Soundwave and snarled.

"You think you could just sneak up on me?" said Hailstorm "Bad mistake!"

"Hailstorm, that's Soundwave" said Dead End "You don't want to mess with him"

"I don't know how you got out or why you attacked me, but you're going to get what's coming to you!" snarled Hailstorm as he threw a punch at Soundwave. Soundwave caught the punch and kicked him straight in the face, causing him to topple over. Before Hailstorm could get himself back up, Soundwave leapt on top of him and punched him out. He turned over to Dead End.

"Oh heck…" said Dead End. He transformed and drove off. As he disappeared in the cityscape, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Hound turned their hands into their blasters and aimed them at Soundwave.

"Stay still!" said Bumblebee "I don't know what you're doing here or why you did what you just did—"

"You can relax, Autobots" said Soundwave "I have not come to attack you?"

"Oh yeah?" said Arcee "And why should we supposed believe that?"

"You will have to" said Soundwave.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl, Jazz, and Ironhide ran across the city in search of Vehicons.

"There doesn't seem to be any—" said Prowl shortly before a laser bolt flew past them. They turned around to see a large group of Vehicons marching up to them and shooting at them.

"You just had to ask, didn't you?" said Jazz. They fired back. "Man, where have the Decepticons been keeping these guys the whole time?" The Vehicons began to surround them.

"Can't these guys just die already?" said Ironhide. Suddenly, something from above shot down at the Vehicons.

"Breakaway?" said Prowl. Starscream and Slipstream flew down.

"That sure as heck ain't Breakaway" said Ironhide. The remaining Vehicons transformed and drove off. Starscream and Slipstream flew down and transformed.

"That should deal with them" said Starscream.

"Now it's just a matter of deal with you two" said Ironhide whilst raising his cannons at them and charging them up.

"Settle down, Autobots" said Slipstream "We haven't come to fight"

"All evidence to the contrary" said Prowl.

"Please, just listen" said Slipstream "Blackout's taken over"

"We know about that" said Prowl.

"Then we can cut to the chase" said Slipstream "He overthrew us and I think we can both agree that we need to uphold our secrecy, which this battle is seriously risking. We need your help to stop him"

"Why?" asked Prowl.

"He has command of the other Decepticons, leaving us with no army" replied Starscream "With our combined forces, we have a better chance of beating him"

"And how are we supposed to know you won't stab us in the back at the first moment you get?" asked Prowl.

"C'mon, Prowl" said Jazz "We need as much help as we can get"

"You're talking about siding with the Decepticons" said Prowl "Besides; they're only going to help us beat Blackout just so they can get back into power"

"Better them than Blackout" said Jazz "If we give him the free run, they'll be more of this" He gestured to their surroundings. Prowl looked back and forth between him and Starscream before sighing.

"Don't make me regret this" said Prowl.

"Don't worry; the enemy of my enemy—" said Starscream.

"We are not friends" said Prowl "Our objectives align for now"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and Grimlock followed Swoop to an abandoned warehouse where he flew inside and disappeared.

"An abandoned warehouse" said Optimus "That must be where Mindwipe is hiding"

"Then what are we waiting for?" said Grimlock whilst pulling out his sword "I'm in the mood to bisect the little monster"

"Quietly" said Optimus "He's more than either of us can handle, even together"

"We'll see about that when I pull him apart" said Grimlock. The two of them walked over to the warehouse when the _Nemesis_ flew over them. Blackout looked down and grinned evilly. He transformed and flew down before transforming and landing in front of them, causing all the electricity in the street to short-circuit and deactivate.

"What was that?" asked Optimus.

"They don't call me Blackout for nothing" replied Blackout "You've led me straight to where I wanted. Thank you. And as a bonus, I get to destroy the Autobot leader. Attack!" The Vehicons raised their blasters and started shooting.

"You Decepticons have a glutton for punishment, don't you?" said Grimlock.

"Grimlock, stop Mindwipe" said Optimus "I'll deal with Blackout and the rest of them"

"Got it" said Grimlock. He rushed inside the warehouse.

"Congratulations, you finally managed to convince Grimlock to fight with you" said Blackout.

"We don't have to fight, Blackout; but this is madness" said Optimus "Attacking a city like this puts lives at risk; and if the public knows of our identity, it'll only make it harder for both of us"

"Good" said Blackout "What Megatron failed to do was let this world know that they were outmatched. Mindwipe's death is just one part of this attack" He turned his hands into propeller blades and spun them at high speed before lunging at Optimus. Optimus turned his hands into his blades and retracted out his battle mask and the two clashed.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock crept through the warehouse with his sword drawn when a familiar voice crept into his head.

" _Miss me…"_

 _I could feel you coming from a mile away…_

Grimlock saw an image of Mindwipe in a mirror which starred at him disturbingly.

" _Sneaking up on me was very unwise…"_

"I told you to get out of my head!" snarled Grimlock as he swung his sword and shattered the mirror to pieces.

"You can never keep me out, Grimlock" said a voice "I know you all too well now" Suddenly, Mindwipe leapt down from the rafters and landed on Grimlock's shoulders.

"Get off me!" snarled Grimlock whilst shaking furiously.

"From countless years, both Autobots and Decepticons bended to my will" said Mindwipe "But you…why is it that you are the only creature on the face of any world that resisted my power!?"

"I…just…can!" snarled Grimlock. He was about to grab Mindwipe when the Decepticon leapt off and landed in front of him.

"That's not going to save you tonight" said Mindwipe. For a brief moment, the image of his bat monster form flickered over him. Grimlock bared his teeth and lunged at him with his sword but he leapt up onto a higher levels. The sword slammed into a container of fuel which lit up with fire due to the energon in the sword, causing the other fuel containers to light up as well.

"Oh heck!" snapped Grimlock. Suddenly, Slug and Snarl rammed through the wall and into Grimlock.

"Predictable…" said Mindwipe Sludge smashed through and was about to crush Grimlock when he rolled out of the way and got back onto his feet. "Does this seem familiar?"

"My team, I don't want to hurt you" said Grimlock "But neither can I back down" He transformed. "Bring it on!"

"Finish him!" said Mindwipe. Grimlock's team charged towards him.

 _Meanwhile_

Breakaway continued to fly through the air with Thundercracker and Skywarp on his tail.

"He's scrap metal!" snarled Skywarp. Suddenly, something shot him down.

"Oh heck!" snapped Thundercracker before getting shot down as well. Agent Bluestone flew down in a jet fighter

"Thanks for dealing with Beavis and Butthead back there" said Breakaway into his comlink.

"Anytime" said Bluestone into his comlink "We're here to help" Breakaway looked down and noticed the flaming warehouse.

"If you'll excuse me" said Breakaway. He flew down towards the warehouse.

 _Meanwhile_

As Bulkhead, Wheeljack, and Mirage fought back Vehicons, Blitzwing and Astrotrain watched down from the top of a building.

"Ready to kick some metal?" said Astrotrain.

" **Kick?** " said Blitzwing " **I'M GOING TO DESTROY THEM WITH MY BARE HANDS!** "

"Uh…ok" said Astrotrain. Astrotrain transformed into his shuttle mode and flew down whilst Blitzwing transformed into his tank mode and drove off the building firing wildly.

"Oh shoot!" said Bulkhead.

"Twice the Decepticons, triple the trouble" said Wheeljack.

"Each" said Bulkhead. Astrotrain flew down and landed in front of them.

"Got ya'!" said Astrotrain. He turned his hands into blasters and fired away at them.

"They just keep coming, don't they?" said Bulkhead. Wheeljack leapt up into the air and on top of Blitzwing and began to punch his cannons wildly. Suddenly, Blitzwing transformed, grabbed Wheeljack, and slammed him onto the ground.

" **You wanna' get nuts?!** " said Blitzwing " **C'mon! Let's get nuts!** _Someone mention nuts?_ " He laughed insanely.

"Turn back to the other one" said Wheeljack as he got himself to his feet. Suddenly, Blitzwing ripped out a street light and used it to beat Wheeljack like a crowbar, laughing insanely.

"Finally!" said Astrotrain "'Bout time that face did something actually useful!" At that moment, a Human mother with a young son and daughter crept out of an alleyway and tried to sneak back into a house.

"It's okay" said the mother "We're almost—" Suddenly, one of Astrotrain's shots hit the building and caused a large chunk of debris to fall down towards them. "Watch out!" She held them tight but Bulkhead noticed this, ran over, and caught the chunk of debris.

"Go…now!" said Bulkhead. The mother and her children ran back into the alleyway causing Bulkhead to smile. Suddenly, Astrotrain shot him in the back, causing him to collapse.

"You guys make this stuff too easy" said Astrotrain. Suddenly, Bumblebee, Arcee, and Hound accelerated up to him, only for him to dodge. "Seriously?" Suddenly, Soundwave flew down towards him and he ducked as he flew over him. "This is just getting weird" Soundwave transformed and grabbed hold of the wall of a building.

"Laserbeak, Ravage: Eject" said Soundwave "Operation: Assault" He ejected Laserbeak and Ravage who leapt down to Astrotrain and attacked him. Soundwave then landed behind Blitzwing, reeled out his tentacles, flung them around Blitzwing's head, and slammed him into the ground. Blitzwing's briefly muttered something that sounded like "tentacles…".

"Get them off!" snapped Astrotrain. Bulkhead grabbed his arms from behind and pulled him down before giving him a final punch in the face to make him unconscious. Bulkhead then turned to Soundwave and turned his hands into his maces.

"Okay, boombox" said Bulkhead "I don't know why you're here, but it's time to rum—"

"Save it, Bulkhead" said Bumblebee as he walked over to Bulkhead "It's a long story, but the shortened version is that he's currently helping us"

"What!?" said Bulkhead.

"I know" said Bumblebee. He reached up and talked quietly into Bulkhead's ear. "I don't like it any more than you do; but for the moment, we have to play along. We need as much help as we can get, and Soundwave just offered his help"

"You seriously trust him?" asked Bulkhead quietly.

"As much as I can shoot him" replied Bumblebee quietly "But like it or not, we need help; and if he ever turns on us, we'll all turn on him at once"

"I can hear everything you say" said Soundwave.

"Then you'll know how it works" said Bumblebee "As I told you before, do anything against and we'll more than double that"

"Soundwave, Starscream and I found Prowl and some of the other Autobots but now we're pinned down at the other end of the city" said Slipstream out of Soundwave's comlink "We need assistance, and fast"

"Understood" said Soundwave into his comlink.

 _Meanwhile_

"We have them surrounded!" said a Vehicon as it and many other Vehicons surrounded Jazz and Slipstream "Move in further!"

"Geez, who made him the boss?" said Jazz as he and Slipstream blasted back at the Vehicons.

"Vehicons aren't officially sentient, but they can still develop personalities of a sort" said Slipstream.

"Wow; together again, just like old times" said Jazz.

"If you really wanted them so bad, you should've rethought about what you did ages ago" said Slipstream.

"C'mon, Slip; you're still sparkbroken over what I did to—" said Jazz.

"Don't call me that!" snapped Slipstream "And you know all too well that it goes deeper than that"

"How so?" asked Jazz.

"Don't ask" replied Slipstream.

"I'm serious, Slipstream" said Jazz "Please tell what it is that upset you" Slipstream merely gave him a stern look.

"Geez, and I thought Arcee and I's relationship was starting to get complicated" said a voice. Jazz and Slipstream looked up to see Bumblebee looking down from them on the top of a building. He leapt down and started shooting at the Vehicons. Bulkhead drove up ramming down every Vehicon in his path, before transforming and smashing them with his maces.

"Glad to have your help, Bee" said Jazz.

"Always happy to help" said Bumblebee. Jazz looked up into the sky and noticed various Vehicons jets flying above.

"But it looks like they still have the aerial advantage" said Jazz.

"Not for long" said Slipstream before transforming.

"Wait, Slipstream!" exclaimed Jazz before grabbing onto her and flying up.

 _Meanwhile_

Starscream fired both his rockets at the army of Vehicons that marched at them.

"It would be better if you conserved your ammo rather than fire it all at once" said Prowl.

"We're facing an entire army and you're telling me to hold back?" said Starscream.

"I'm not saying that" said Prowl "I'm merely mentioning that we have to—"

"Can you two just shut it for the moment?!" said Ironhide "We're trying to hold them off here!" At that moment, Soundwave leapt in front of them and unleashed a large sonic wave which blew the Vehicons off their feet.

"Well, that could have been useful for…I don't know, lots of times" said Starscream.

"It requires almost all of my reserve power" said Soundwave "It is better left for only extreme threats"

 _Meanwhile_

"Just get off already" said Slipstream "I can handle this on my own"

"I know you can" said Jazz "I'm just giving you a helping hand"

"Well, you're slowing me down" said Slipstream "I'll give you this one chance, I'll lower down and allow you to land safely; and if you don't comply, I'll just shake you off" At that moment, the Vehicon jets started shooting.

"You'll have to delay that it seems" said Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout clashed with Optimus violently.

"Pathetic!" said Blackout "Are you really what stood in Megatron's way for all these years?"

"Megatron went down a bad path long ago that I could not retrieve him from" said Optimus "You're going down the same path now"

"No, not the same path" said Blackout "After all, I'm going to win this war" He lunged forward, gave Optimus a nasty head-butt, and kicked him in the stomach and onto the ground. He stood over Optimus and slammed his blades down at him. Suddenly, Optimus skewered his blade into Blackout's blades right in the center, causing them to break off and fly away. Optimus leapt back onto his feet.

"Your move" said Optimus whilst turning his hands into his ion blasters. Blackout grinned evilly, turned his hands into blaster cannons, and fired at Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

"There's so many of them" said Jazz as he shot at the Vehicons.

"No kidding" said Slipstream "We have to get out of the skies now" Jazz looked over at an incoming Vehicon.

"Well, you did tell me to get off" said Jazz.

"What are you—" asked Slipstream just before Jazz leapt off and landed on the incoming Vehicon "Wait, Jazz!" The Vehicon attempted to shake Jazz off but he held on tight and continued to shoot down the Vehicons around him until there were only a few left.

"We are down on numbers" said one of the Vehicons "Fall back and gather any remaining reinforcements" The remaining Vehicons flew off and Jazz finally shot the Vehicon he was standing on, causing it to fall towards the ground at an alarming rate.

"Well, looks like I'm gonna' make an impression" said Jazz. Suddenly, Slipstream flew past and caught him in midair. "Or maybe not"

"Don't do that again" said Slipstream. Jazz smirked.

 _Meanwhile_

As Mindwipe looked down at Grimlock and the others fighting, someone snuck up behind him, grabbed a large metal bar, and raised it above his head before he turned around and caught him by the wrist.

"That was so typical of you, Breakaway" said Mindwipe. Breakaway kept his optics closed to prevent being controlled. Mindwipe punched him in the stomach and pushed him into the wall.

"I…I won't let you get away" said Breakaway "Not this time"

"Is that so?" said Mindwipe "I have to admit, closing your eyes to prevent was a smart move. Or was it?" He stepped back into the shadows and disappeared.

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout shot furiously at Optimus who desperately tried to avoid the shots. Optimus lunged at him and the two brawled.

"If we continue this war any further, we'll only end up destroying each other" said Optimus.

"One of us will be" said Blackout. He pulled out a blade from his propeller blades which he had managed to grab and stabbed it straight in Optimus's stomach before shooting him in the chest which sent him flying away.

 _Meanwhile_

"Get off!" snarled Grimlock as his team pulled him to the ground "Snap out of it!" Breakaway stood cautiously with his metal bar in the burning room.

"Were you really convinced that you could beat me?" said Mindwipe "Did you really think you could take me down?"

"Stay back!" said Breakaway.

"No" replied Mindwipe "Not now. Not ever. I will always be there; my very presence will scratch at the doors of your mind" He leapt out and pulled Breakaway onto the ground. "Resisting me will only take away your strength" He placed his fingers onto Breakaway's optics and tried to pull them open forcefully. "Like it or not, you…are…mine!"

"No!" said Breakaway. He transformed and slammed Mindwipe into the roof before shooting him in the stomach, blasting him onto the lower levels. Grimlock's team all cried out in pain before collapsing unconscious. Grimlock pulled himself up and noticed Mindwipe from across the room.

"Mindwipe!" snarled Grimlock. He walked over to Mindwipe, snarling furiously.

"Stay back!" said Mindwipe, who was badly injured in the leg and couldn't escape. Grimlock didn't comply. "I said stay back!" Grimlock slowly opened his jaws. "Breakaway, get me out of here" Breakaway didn't comply. "Can't you hear me; I said get me out of here. Don't you know what he's going to do to me?!"

"Sorry" said Breakaway "But if I let you out, you'll only hurt more people. And I can't allow that" Grimlock started to growl.

"No!" said Mindwipe "No!" Grimlock slammed his foot onto Mindwipe's legs before lunged down and ripping off his upper body. Mindwipe let out an intense scream of pain. After it had died down, Grimlock threw his remains away into the burning room. Grimlock's team slowly regained consciousness and transformed back into robot mode.

"What…What happened?" said Snarl.

"It feels like fog…lifting" said Swoop.

"Grimlock, what the heck happened?" asked Slug.

"It's a long story" said Grimlock "But I'll explain it later"

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout stood over Optimus and turned his hand back into his blaster cannon.

"So much for being a Prime" said Blackout as he charged his cannon. Suddenly, Grimlock and the rest of his team (in dinosaur mode) rampaged through the warehouse and rammed Blackout before he could even react and gave a triumphant roared. "What is this?" At that moment, the other Autobots (along with Starscream, Slipstream, and Soundwave) arrived and surrounded him.

"We have you outnumbered, Blackout" said Prowl "Stand down. It's over"

"Is it?" said Blackout "You still don't understand why I did what I did. This war has ravaged the galaxy because of Optimus Prime and Megatron's leadership. It has costed our race dearly. But I came up with something long ago, a vision for the future; I needed command of the Decepticons to make it reality"

"Well, that vision ain't coming true tonight or anytime soon" said Jazz.

"It will!" snarled Blackout. He turned his blaster cannons towards them and was about to shoot when Optimus grabbed him by the rotor blade at the back and pulled him down, causing him to shoot up to the sky. Optimus punched him out.

"Blackout has blacked out" said Jazz.

 _Later_

Blackout stood aboard the bridge with his hands cuffed and surrounded by Vehicons.

"I gave you a chance and you used it against me" said Starscream "And because of that, I'll make sure you'll never see the light of day again. Send him to the cells, and make sure he is heavily guarded at all times" The Vehicons turned Blackout around and brought him out of the bridge.

"You and Prime will both be the end of our kind" said Blackout "I have seen it" Starscream turned to Lugnut.

"As for you; having helped him get power, I would send you away as well" said Starscream "But given how you don't exactly have…the right mind, so to speak, I'll give you one last chance. Kneel to me and declare me as the one true leader of the Decepticons and you will stay free"

"You are no leader, Starscream" said Lugnut "Lord Megatron is our one and only ruler. I will never follow you"

"Very well" said Starscream "Take him away" Lots of Vehicons surrounded Lugnut, cuffed him, and took him out of the bridge. "Any more questions?" There was deep silence across the Decepticons. "Good; these treacheries are only slowing down our progress" He turned and left the bridge with Slipstream shaking her head.

 _Meanwhile_

Grimlock and the rest of his team stood in the _Ark_ in front of Optimus.

"Grimlock, I appreciate your help last night" said Optimus "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have had an advantage over the Decepticons"

"Something tells me there's something else you want to tell us" said Grimlock.

"Grimlock, I understand this might seem…imposing, but we're always open for help" said Optimus "As you know, there's no transport off this world; but you don't have to wander"

"What are you implying?" asked Grimlock.

"Stay here with us" said Optimus "We could use your help against the Decepticons" Slug snarled and lunged forward.

"You think you command us!?" snarled Slug "You foolish—"

"Calm down, Slug" said Grimlock "I understand what you're getting at, Optimus; but no thank you. I think you know all too well that it was never this simple"

"Very well" said Optimus "You may go, but remember our rules; do not harm Humans or go near their civilization and inform us of any Decepticon activity before engaging"

"Send us somewhere far away from Humans" said Grimlock.

"Will do" said Ratchet. He opened a ground bridge and Grimlock turned to it.

"Grimlock" said Optimus. Grimlock turned to him. "If you ever need help, give us a call. We will come" Grimlock turned back to the portal and he walked through it with the rest of his team.

"This is a mistake" said Prowl.

"Perhaps" said Optimus "But if we wish to keep them as allies, we must allow them freedom. They may have deviated from many of our customs long ago, but they are still Autobots nonetheless"

 **Author's note** : I hope the Decepticons didn't go down to easily individually; I wanted to showcase each of them for the battle.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Hopefully some more of questions were answered in this chapter.

 **Guest** : I'm honestly not sure; I was actually thinking of having only the five main Dinobots, but I do like Spinosaurus and Raptors so I might consider it.

 **Martin** : I will admit, there were some similarities between the last chapter and _Crisscross_.

 **Guest** : Crankcase's background will go into more detail as the series progresses. And yes, I do plan on having more relationships throughout the series.


	23. Home

_A scrapyard in Utah_

Brawl picked up a broken car and flung it over at Jazz who dodged.

"Geez!" said Jazz.

"Fire at him!" said Prowl. He, Jazz, Bumblebee, and Hound opened fire at Brawl who lifted up another wrecked car and threw it at them. Bulkhead snuck up behind Brawl and launched out his wrecking ball which Brawl wacked back at him with his bladed claw. "We have you cornered, Brawl; surrender!"

"I don't surrender to Autobrats!" said Brawl. At that moment, Arcee sped up to him and rammed into him. Suddenly, Brawl grabbed her by the wheel and slammed her into a junk pile where she transformed.

"Arcee!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He turned his hands into his blasters and rushed at Brawl.

"Bumblebee, stay back!" said Prowl.

"Hey, Incredible Bulk!" said Bumblebee as he rushed up to Brawl "Come and catch me!" Brawl threw a punch at him but Bumblebee dodged it. "Wow; great aim!"

"You want aim?" said Brawl "Fine!" He turned his hands into large machine guns and opened fire upon Bumblebee, who tried to dodge but was caught in the fire and sent flying across the yard. Brawl slowly walked over to him.

"Bee!" exclaimed Arcee.

"That's it" said Prowl "Prowl to Optimus, we need—"

"Don't worry, I've got this covered" said Hound.

"What do you mean "you've got this covered"?" asked Prowl.

"I mean I've got this covered" replied Hound "Mirage, you in position?"

"Yes" replied Mirage into his comlink who was hiding behind a scrap pile.

"Do it now, and make it snappy" said Hound.

"Got it" said Mirage. He turned invisible, snuck up to the top of the scrap pile, turned his hand into his blaster, and aimed carefully at Brawl.

"You really pack a punch, don't you?" said Bumblebee as he slowly got himself back up.

"You have no idea" said Brawl.

"Uhh, shouldn't we do something?" said Jazz.

"Don't worry, Mirage is dealing with it as we speak" said Hound.

"He has to do something now" said Prowl "Brawl's going to kill him"

"I've seen you Autobots stroll around in your Earth alt-modes" said Brawl "Well guess what; I decided to get myself one!"

"What are you now?" said Bumblebee "A tanker, one of those Mad Max trucks, a missile platform?"

"Even better!" smirked Brawl. He transformed into a Leopard 2 and charged up his cannon.

"We've got to do something now!" said Prowl.

"No, Mirage will deal with it" said Hound.

"And what makes you so sure?" asked Prowl.

"He said he would" replied Hound. Suddenly, Brawl blew Bumblebee away with all of his power.

"Bee!" exclaimed Arcee.

"No!" exclaimed Bulkhead.

"That…doesn't look good" said Jazz. Mirage hid back behind the scrap pile, turned off his cloak, and sighed whilst hitting his head with his fist.

"I love how you Autobots die!" said Brawl whilst transforming.

"I don't understand" said Hound "He…He said—"

"We'll discuss it back at base" said Prowl "Autobots, attack!" He and the others charged at Brawl and shot at him. Brawl looked down at the petrol around the scrap yard and smirked.

"Goodbye!" said Brawl. He shot at the fuel which engulfed it in flames.

"Watch out!" exclaimed Prowl. The flames ignited and blew up the scrap pile that Mirage lay hidden behind, sending him flying away.

"Mirage!" exclaimed Hound.

 **Home**

 _The Ark_

"Mirage…" said a voice "Mirage…" Mirage woke up breathing heavily when Ratchet rested him back down. "Easy, easy"

"Where…Where am I?" asked Mirage.

"The _Ark_ 's med-bay" replied Ratchet.

"Wait, what happened to Brawl?" asked Mirage.

"I'm afraid he escaped" replied Ratchet "He lit up some residue fuel and it blew up, allowing him to get away"

"We've…got to—" said Mirage as he tried to get himself up but only pulled some stitches.

"Take it easy" said Ratchet "You got caught in the explosion and sustained some bad damage back there, it's better to rest for now to regain your strength"

"How bad?" asked Mirage.

"Well; I'm not being technical here, but it was pretty bad" replied Ratchet "But not as bad as my other patient"

"Who is your other patient?" asked Mirage.

"Over there" said Ratchet. Mirage looked over and saw Bumblebee lying unconscious on another med-bed. Arcee sat by his side and held his hand tightly.

"What happened to him?" asked Mirage.

"Brawl took it all out on him" said Ratchet "We were lucky Prowl chose to pull out just in time; any longer, and he may have died"

"By the AllSpark" said Mirage.

 _Later_

"We've been tracking Brawl for months and we finally managed to corner him" said Prowl "We literally had him cornered. But now not only has he escaped, but Bumblebee got badly hurt and almost killed; we're only lucky to have Ratchet as our medic. Why didn't you shoot Brawl?"

"I…I tried to but I just couldn't" replied Mirage.

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" asked Prowl.

"I…I don't know what happened" replied Mirage "Honestly. It's like I just froze up and couldn't do anything"

"That's not good enough" said Prowl "As you may remember, this isn't the first time something like this happened; during our battle with the Initiative, you had a chance to shoot Crankcase and yet you didn't. This can't go on any longer. This isn't hunting turbofoxes back on Cybertron, this is war; and if you hesitate for a single second, more enemies will escape and more allies will get injured"

"You're…You're not Optimus" said Mirage.

"No, I'm not" replied Prowl "Because right now he's busy discussing with Agent Bluestone on what we should do with the people who witnessed that battle in Carson City. Hopefully, and I mean really hopefully, we might just be able to stay secret"

"Hound?" said Mirage. Hound, who stood crossed armed in the corner, walked over to him with a shake of his head.

"I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Prowl here" said Hound "You gave me your word that you would help us out but you didn't go through with it. Bumblebee got hurt because of you"

"I'm only going to give you this once; get your head in the game or get out of the game completely" said Prowl "You can't stay on missions if you'll only become a liability" Mirage slowly got himself back up and limped off.

"I'm not cut out for this" said Mirage. As he left, Prowl had a stern look whilst Hound had a concerned one.

 _Later_

Mirage sat in his quarters when he heard a knock at the door.

"Come in" said Mirage. Hound entered. "You know, you could have just entered anytime"

"I felt it was better to be polite" said Hound.

"What do you want?" asked Mirage.

"I…just wanted to check on you" replied Hound as he sat next to Mirage. Mirage didn't reply. "Listen, I'm sorry for what I said earlier; but Prowl was right. When you're out in the field, you have to help us, no exceptions"

"I know" sighed Mirage.

"Why didn't you shoot Brawl?" asked Hound.

"I told, I…I just didn't feel like it" replied Mirage.

"Why?" asked Hound.

"I…I don't know" replied Mirage.

"Well, you've got to know why" said Hound "Remember; we're not just fighting for our cause, but for the Humans and this beautiful planet as well" Mirage raised an eyebrow.

"You like this planet more than Cybertron" said Mirage.

"That's beside the poin—" said Hound.

"Don't you?" said Mirage.

"Well…Well…yes…sort of" said Hound.

"Why?" asked Mirage.

"It's just…it's just such a new experience" replied Hound "It's…It's incredible. Why do you ask?"

"It's just not normal" said Mirage.

"Excuse me, but how is liking Earth not normal?" asked Hound.

"Hound, you don't know what you're saying" replied Mirage "Cybertron was our home, it was where we belonged; how could you just let it go like that?"

"It's not like that, not like that at all" replied Hound "I know that Cybertron was our home, but it can't be anymore. The war ravaged it beyond repair; it's nothing more than a graveyard of everything that failed to survive the conflict. The AllSpark could have revitalized it, but we've lost it now. As much as I like Cybertron to be revived, we have to come to terms and accept the facts; without the AllSpark, we have no hope for it"

"No, you're wrong!" said Mirage whilst standing up "There has to be some way to bring Cybertron back"

"I wish there was, but—" said Hound before Mirage turned to the door "Where are you going?"

"I…I just need some time to myself" said Mirage. He exited the room and headed for the exit of the _Ark_.

"Going somewhere?" said a voice. Mirage turned to see Prowl leaning against the wall with both his arms crossed.

"What do you want?" asked Mirage.

"Just to know where you're going" replied Prowl.

"Outside for a drive" said Mirage.

"Anywhere in particular?" asked Prowl.

"Just outside" replied Mirage "To clear my head"

"Alright" said Prowl.

"What?" said Mirage.

"I said "alright"" said Prowl "Go on, enjoy your drive" He exited the room. Mirage then transformed and drove out of the _Ark_ and onto the road outside.

 _Meanwhile_

Prowl walked over to Ratchet who stood at Teletraan I.

"Ratchet, can you do something for me?" asked Prowl.

"Depends" replied Ratchet "What do you want me to do?"

"Mirage just left the base" replied Prowl "I want you to track his position"

"Okay" said Ratchet. He brought up Mirage's position on Teletraan I.

"Hey, what's this?" asked Jazz.

"Mirage left the base only a few seconds ago" replied Prowl "We're using Teletraan I to keep an eye on him"

"Okay; to make sure nothing bad happens to him, right?" said Jazz. Prowl didn't reply. "No? There's something else?"

"For a while now, I've felt something off about Mirage" replied Prowl.

"Because he didn't shoot Brawl?" said Jazz "C'mon, Prowl; he just froze up, that's all"

"No" said Prowl "I think it might be something else"

"What are you implying?" asked Jazz. Prowl looked around to make sure no one else was around.

"I've been trying to keep this secret to avoid trouble, but I think it might be possible that Mirage is a double agent" replied Prowl.

"What?" said Jazz.

"I'm serious, Jazz" said Prowl "When we first met Mirage, he was taken prisoner by the Decepticons; we have absolutely no idea what Starscream did to him in there. He could've done something to him that made him think he's a Decepticon or at least view them differently. For all we know, he might not even be Mirage at all but a Decepticon made to look like him. Our rescue of Mirage may have all been a complete stage to induct him into the Autobots"

"Such methods have not been unheard of" said Ratchet "But earlier this year, Starscream held Bumblebee and Arcee captive; if he had access to such techniques, why not use it then"

"Perhaps he didn't have access to them at the time" replied Prowl "Or maybe he didn't see it as good an opportunity. We've known Bumblebee and Arcee ever since they joined our crew; if something were different about them, I'd know straight away"

"You'd know?" said Jazz.

"I make very thorough observations of people" said Prowl "Furthermore; Mirage has been very quiet recently and not very social"

"Yeah, but I've talked to Hound about it and he says that he's always been like that" said Hound.

"Who knows, perhaps there never was a Mirage" said Prowl "He was just an illusion to help cover a Decepticon spy" Jazz sighed and turned off Teletraan I's screen. "What are you doing?"

"I can tell that deep-down Mirage feels bad about what he did" replied Jazz "He's just gone outside to get his head clear about it" Prowl turned to the exit when Jazz stopped him. "Were you seriously going to follow him?"

"I'm not taking any risks" replied Prowl.

"Prowl, don't" said Jazz "I know you've been hurt in the past; but just take this coolly, okay? You're expecting the worst out of him"

"It's better to be safe than sorry" said Prowl.

"That is true" said Jazz "But if you keep doing this to people, you'll just drive them away. So relax" Prowl turned around.

"It'll take more than faith to hold us together" said Prowl. As Prowl left, Jazz shook his head.

 _Meanwhile_

Mirage drove along the road, going further and further away from the _Ark_.

"It's not Cybertron…" said Mirage to himself "None of this is. I can't believe Hound just eases so much into this. I mean how could he? No matter what happens, Cybertron will always be—" At that moment, he spotted what appeared to be Long Haul walking over to a large cave. He skidded to a stop and transformed. "What is this?" He turned his cloak on and slowly crept over to the cave where he waited for Long Haul to enter so he wouldn't be spotted. He slowly crept into the cave and followed Long Haul silently. Long Haul stepped into a clearing where Scrapper, Scavenger, and Bonecrusher also stood.

"Done with my sentry work" said Long Haul "No Autobots or Humans anywhere"

"And other Decepticons?" asked Scrapper.

"None of them either" replied Long Haul.

"Can't we just opened the space bridge and get this over and done with already?" said Bonecrusher. Mirage's audio receptors were pricked up by this.

"Just a moment" replied Scrapper "Remember, we're doing this to receive the parts and equipment needed to increase the space bridge's size—"

"And make the portal bigger" said Scavenger.

"Exactly" said Scrapper. He walked over to the controls and opened the space bridge portal. "Time to go through; Scavenger, stay here and keep watch in case there are any intruders"

"Yes sir" said Scavenger.

"You two, stay with me" said Scrapper. He, Long Haul, and Bonecrusher entered the portal. Seeing the portal as an opportunity, Mirage snuck across the clearing and into the portal. As he stepped out into the other side, he found himself standing in the middle of what appeared to be a Cybertronian city. He ran to the shadows and looked up at the dark sky.

"I'm…I'm home" said Mirage.

 _A few minutes later_

Mirage walked throughout the city.

"Where is this place?" said Mirage to himself. He looked over and noticed what appeared to be strange markings on the side of a building. He walked over to it and examined and noticed that it was covered in dust. "Maybe this will clear everything up" He wiped away the dust and found that the markings were a Decepticon symbol. "No!" He stepped back so far that he tripped over a rock. "D…Decepticons…"

"Can you believe this?" said a voice. Mirage got himself up and peered out at Long Haul and Bonecrusher who were dragging construction pieces down towards the portal. "We've got ourselves an actual working space bridge and all we're doing with it is to bring pieces through it"

"I know, it's an annoyance" said Bonecrusher "But once we're done with it, we'll get back to construction. And once we're done with that, we'll just go back to Cybertron; no more Earth"

"Oh, more construction!" said Long Haul "We've doing that scrap for the last few months"

"We are Constructicons, you realize that?" said Bonecrusher. Mirage looked up at the large and ominous tower that the two Constructicons had exited from and had a distinctive purple light coming from it. He turned his cloak back on and sneaked up to it.

 _Meanwhile_

Arcee lay in her quarters when Bumblebee entered.

"Mind if I come in?" asked Bumblebee.

"Yeah, sure" said Arcee as she sat herself back up "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, a bit" said Bumblebee "Especially considering I got blasted in the face by a Decepticon tank"

"Ha; to think that all those months of training, even with the added difficulty that Prowl added, and it still doesn't prepare you for stuff like that" said Arcee. Bumblebee looked around cautiously and took a breath in.

"I was just wondering, is it okay if I ask you a question about something you might find…hard to talk about?" said Bumblebee.

"I'm sure it won't be that hard" said Arcee.

"Believe me, you might not want to answer this; and if you do, I'll understand that" said Bumblebee.

"Okay" said Arcee "Ask me" Bumblebee took a deep breath.

"What happened between you and Airachnid?" asked Bumblebee. A look of concern befell on Arcee's face. "I mean; all the time we've been together you've never actually talked about her" Arcee looked away. "Listen; if you're uncomfortable talking about this—"

"No, it's alright" said Arcee "I tried to walk away from my problems, but they keep coming back. Who knows, perhaps I'd feel better if I talked about it. It was long ago, long before I even met you. I was still at the training facility; back then, my partner was Hubcap. He reminded me of you; witty, charming, funny, but he was also a bit of a trickster, if you know what I mean. We worked together well, it seemed like those days were going to last forever. But one day, everything changed"

 _Arcee's flashback_

Arcee walked down the hallway of the training facility.

" _Energon cubes in the facility had gone missing for the past few days and it was beginning to worry us. After several other teams tried to find out what was going on but ended up disappearing, we were sent to investigate"_

Arcee kneeled down and examined some energon residue on the floor.

"Hubcap, I found some remnants of the energon" said Arcee into her comlink "Anything on your end?"

"Not yet" replied Hubcap out of her comlink "The path seems very clear here. Wait, I think I found something"

"What is it?" asked Arcee.

"It's some kind of…silk" said Hubcap.

"Silk?" said Arcee.

"Yeah, silk" said Hubcap "It's all over the place. Hey, I think I found it"

"Found what?" asked Arcee.

"The missing energon cubes, they're here" replied Hubcap "At least some of it anyway"

"Really, that's great!" said Arcee "Let's tell the others about it" There was no reply. "Hubcap? Hubcap?" She rushed off down the hallway.

" _Deep down, I was half-expecting this to be just another of his pranks to get me worried. But given the situation, I wasn't going to risk it. I ran off down the direction he was looking in in hopes of finding what happened"_

Arcee ran to the area of the facility where Hubcap was and searched around in hopes of finding him. At that moment, she stepped on something. She looked down and found it to be white silk which she pulled her foot out of with difficulty, proving that it was sticky.

"What on Cybertron?" said Arcee quietly. Suddenly, something grabbed her by the foot and pulled her back at a dramatic pace. She was pulled up to the roof, covered in silk. Two purple optics approached her from the shadows. "Who are you?"

"Just…a predator!' said Airachnid (in spider mode) as she walked into the light. She pulled Arcee off and dragged her along the ground as she walked through the hallway.

"Were…Were you the one who stole the energon?" asked Arcee.

"Of course I was" replied Airachnid.

"Why?" asked Arcee.

"You don't know?" replied Airachnid "You've got a lot to learn about the world, little girl. Energon is both fuel and blood. Whoever has it, has advantages"

"I'm not little" said Arcee.

"Sure you are" said Airachnid sarcastically. She brought Arcee to a closet filled with energon and webs and threw her in the corner.

"What do you want with me?" asked Arcee.

"Nothing" replied Airachnid "I was here on a job to collect energon when you got in my way. I was hoping the reinforcements would be wise and back down"

"Reinforcements?" said Arcee.

"Something I picked up while overhearing another Autobot who got too close for comfort" said Airachnid "I took him out the moment I spotted him but I feared it was too late. Quite convenient that I didn't have to deal with an entire platoon after all" It wasn't long until Arcee realized what had happened.

"What did you do to Hubcap!?" snapped Arcee.

"He got too close for comfort so I had to take him out" said Airachnid. She stepped to the side to reveal the mutilated and energon filled remains of a goldenrod colored Autobot in the corner.

"No!" exclaimed Arcee "Why…"

"Did I do it?" said Airachnid "I already told you, he got just too close to finding out what I was doing; just like the rest of them"

"Rest of them?" said Arcee.

"The other Autobots who were sent to investigate" said Airachnid "They got just to close as well"

"How…How could you!?" said Arcee

"I had to take them out, or he would have ruined everything" said Airachnid "If security knew what I was doing, I would never be able steal another energon cube from this particular facility ever again. Besides, he was just a trainee; it was not like he'd know anything important enough for interrogation"

"Then why don't you just leave now while you still have the chance?" asked Arcee "All this commotion's bound to attract attention"

"In due time" replied Airachnid "But there's still one last loose end I have to tie up" She raised her legs up to Arcee's head and grinned evilly. "You, you little brat!" At that moment, Elita One (holding a large battle sword) and a group of autotroopers burst in. "What?!"

"Step away from her, Airachnid!" said Elita whilst pointing her sword at the Decepticon "If you so much as scratch her, I'll unleash a thousand times worse upon you" Airachnid looked back and forth between her and Arcee.

"Well, Optimus chose wisely when he placed you in charge here" said Airachnid. She looked back at Arcee and gave her one last sadistic smile. "See you around, kid" She turned around and shot several of the autotroopers with silk before leaping over Elita and scurrying off.

"This is Elita One; the intruder is indeed the Decepticon Airachnid who is now trying to escape the facility" said Elita into her comlink "Stop her by any means necessary, but be careful; she's very dangerous" She turned back to Arcee and cut her free of the silk who sat there silently. "Are you alright?"

"She…She killed him" said Arcee.

"Who did she kill?" asked Elita before looking over at Hubcap's remains "Oh!"

"She killed all of them" said Arcee. Elita looked back at her and hugged her tightly.

"It's okay, Arcee" said Elita "It's okay. It's over"

" _They looked everywhere for Airachnid but there was no sign of her, she had escaped. She never returned to the facility because we were now prepared for her. Things began to return to normal, but it was now slightly grimmer now that Hubcap was gone; but we nonetheless got used to it. Then one day, everything changed again…"_

Arcee was doing acrobatics in the training room when Elita walked in.

"Training are we?" asked Elita.

"Yep" said Arcee. She leapt down in front of Elita. "Trying to make sure I'm ready for finals"

"That's good to hear" said Elita "However, I've got a proposal for you"

"What kind of proposal?" asked Arcee.

"I've requested a transfer to another training facility" replied Elita "And if you accept, I'll guarantee that you won't regret it

 _Back to reality_

"So as you know, I eventually did say yes, she filled me in on the details, and that's how we met" said Arcee "We've come a long way since then, but I've always wondered what would of happened had Airachnid never gotten involved"

"I'm sorry to hear about that" said Bumblebee "So why did you accept?"

"I wanted a fresh start" replied Arcee "No more Hubcap, no more Airachnid. Every day I stayed in Metrotitan, I was reminded of that one fateful incident; and for a long time, I thought I had left it all behind. But then Airachnid shows up again here and brought everything back with her. I don't know what's in her that makes her like that. I just—" At that moment, Bumblebee brought her into a tight hug.

"It's okay, Arcee" said Bumblebee "It's okay"

 _Meanwhile_

Mirage crept up the stairs to the tower and looked around carefully.

"What is this?" said Mirage quietly to himself. He found himself up on the top of the stairs in what appeared to be a strange laboratory filled with weird things everywhere. "By the AllSpark!" On the lab bench lay various tools that looked disturbing and even painful, the glass containers were filled with Cybertronian appendages, giant mechanical insects, energon of different colors that bubbled away, and other things that ranged from bizarre to disturbing. Mirage's optic was caught by a datapad on the table which he picked up to look at. He turned it on to reveal a large hologram of various pieces of equipment with the title "Project: Harvester" on the top. "Oh no!"

"And we're doing everything we can to make sure the space bridge is working at full capacity, per your instructions" said Scrapper's voice from down the hallway. Mirage turned the datapad off and turned on his cloak and was about to leave when Scrapper and Shockwave walked in, leaving him to only stand there silently.

"I expect it to" said Shockwave "But I also expect Lord Megatron to give me the order himself"

"Of course we will" said Scrapper. Shockwave's attention was drawn to the datapad which he picked up and examined. Mirage slowly inched over to the stairs. "What's wrong?"

"Fingerprints" said Shockwave "And they don't belong to me"

"Perhaps they're just—" said Scrapper.

"Only I am permitted to touch my own equipment" said Shockwave "All of my soldiers and staff know of this and I make sure they don't touch them. This was done by someone else"

"Who exactly?" asked Scrapper.

"An intruder" replied Shockwave "Someone who followed us inside and snuck into this lab to take a look at my plans" He turned around and shot at Mirage, sending him flying into the wall and deactivating his cloak. "And he is still here. You should have left when you had the chance, Autobot"

"H-How…" said Mirage.

"Did you think that a simple cloaking device could fool me?" said Shockwave "I have long since learnt how to see through such devices" Mirage looked back at the stairs. "I don't know how you got in here, but there is no true escape. If you manage to get out of the tower, you will have all of Kaon ahead of you. No matter how far you run, you'll eventually be captured; but I cannot guarantee your long term survival. Surrender; it is the only logical decision" Mirage transformed and drove past Shockwave and Scrapper into the facility.

"What are we going to do?" asked Scrapper "If he knows what we're planning and manages to escape—"

"He will not" replied Shockwave "This is Commander Shockwave; an Autobot is loose within our facility and knows of vital information. I want him captured alive if possible. The intruder is also in possession of a cloaking device so caution is advised"

"They won't catch him" said Scrapper.

"You underestimate my forces" said Shockwave "The very fact that the Autobot was able to infiltrate my tower at all is an anomaly"

 _Meanwhile_

"Hey Ratchet, do you know where Mirage is?" asked Hound as he walked up over to Teletraan I.

"He went out for a drive last time I heard" replied Ratchet "But I haven't seen or heard from him since"

"I've tried contacting him but he hasn't responded at all" said Hound "I was wondering whether you could find him on Teletraan"

"Sure thing" said Ratchet. He brought up Mirage's last coordinates but there was nothing. "Strange, I can't find him anywhere within the state"

"Is there something else you could do?" asked Hound.

"I could try an advanced search across the globe to see if we can find him" replied Ratchet.

"Okay, let's do it then" said Hound.

"Teletraan, do an advanced search for Mirage across the globe" said Ratchet. Teletraan I searched across the planet.

" _Mirage not found"_

"Teletraan can't find him" said Ratchet.

"Is there a reason why it can't detect him?" asked Hound.

"About three" replied Ratchet "Either his life signal has fallen offline, his not on this planet at all, or—"

"Or he's within a shielded area that we cannot see through" said Prowl as he walked up to them.

"Wait, are you implying that he's been captured by the Decepticons?" asked Hound.

"That's one way of looking at it" said Prowl.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hound.

"How long have you known Mirage for?" asked Prowl.

"Since we were first brought onto the assignment together" replied Hound.

"So you would know if he was acting differently?" asked Prowl.

"Of course I would" replied Hound "Why are you asking me this?"

"Hound, I've been meaning to ask you this for a long while but I've never found the right opportunity" replied Prowl "And even now, this still doesn't feel like a preferred time to talk about it"

"What is it?" asked Hound.

"I think there's a possibility that Mirage might be a Decepticon spy" replied Prowl.

"What?" said Hound "That's ridiculous!"

"I know how it sounds; and considering you two share history together, I know that it must sound shocking" said Prowl.

"Shocking, it just can't be" said Hound "They had his history checked out before accepting him, there's no way that he's a Con"

"For all we know, the file may have been forged" said Prowl "The Decepticons have been known to go to almost any lengths to make sure that their plans are successful"

"Really?" said Hound "That's all you're going on? Guesses without any real evidence?"

"There's much more than that" replied Prowl "He's been shown to not be fully invested in our cause"

"I've heard that that Seeker Thundercracker isn't fully invested in the Decepticon cause" said Hound "I'm sure there's plenty of Autobots who feel the same about our cause"

"His lack of enthusiasm has caused more than a little difficulty" said Prowl.

"Let me guess; you're going to start talking about him failing to shoot, aren't you?" said Hound.

"It's a starting point" said Prowl.

"It was an accident" said Hound.

"That cost us dearly" said Prowl "I admit that we don't have the most concrete evidence, but we have to be prepared for the worst"

"I…I don't believe you" said Hound.

"We're at war" said Prowl "Things like this happen"

"And what if he's not?" asked Hound "What if the reason he's not appearing on the screen is because the Decepticons captured him and he needs help?"

"It's a risk we're not going to take" replied Prowl "There's to be no rescue attempts upon the _Nemesis_ ; such an act would be too risky. And if he does return, he's to be put under constant surveillance. We're playing it all safe" Hound stormed out.

"Let me guess, that played out much better in your head" said a voice. Prowl and Ratchet looked over and saw that Jazz was leaning against the wall next to them.

"Ever thought of just approaching us normally?" said Prowl "Lurking doesn't really help"

"You really unloaded a lot on him back there" said Jazz "I mean, he is Mirage's partner after all"

"He had to be told" said Prowl "The bitterest truth is better than the sweetest lies"

"Yeah, about that; we're not exactly sure whether this whole mole thing is truth or not" said Jazz "Why jump to conclusions"

"As I said before, it's merely a precaution" said Prowl "We have to be prepared for anything"

"Prowl, I know what you've been through; I've been there" said Jazz "Yoketron was my master too. When I heard about what happened, I was distraught"

"Except you didn't witness it yourself" said Prowl.

"I know" said Jazz "Which is perhaps what left you broken more than anyone. Prowl, you've got to calm down about this. I didn't want to say this, but you've become quite bitter over the years. You've gotten stressed over this and have started seeing the worst in people. It's time to stop"

"Says the Autobot who's in love with a Decepticon" said Prowl.

"Hey, leave Slipstream out of this" said Jazz "We're talking about you"

"I'm merely mentioning that it's somewhat hypocritical of you to criticize me when you've got your own problems" said Prowl.

"And what problem would that be?" asked Jazz.

"You still have feelings for her" replied Prowl.

"What?!" said Jazz "No, I don't"

"You don't want to admit it, but you do" said Prowl "I can see right through you; you try to hide it but it's no good"

"I'll admit that I respect her…to a degree" said Jazz.

"And it's that respect that could be our downfall" said Prowl "Think about it" He left the room.

"That was cold, Ratchet; even for him" said Jazz.

"He's just letting his paranoia get the better of him" said Ratchet "If he's not careful, he won't have any allies left eventually"

 _Meanwhile_

A group of Vehicons (some of them wearing distinctive goggles over their visor) entered the corridor and crept down it in search of Mirage.

"Remember, he has a cloaking device so he could be anywhere" said the Vehicon leader "If you see the slightest sign of movement, shoot on sight. And for those of you wearing the experimental goggles the commander gave us, remember to set them to heat vision if you haven't already" Mirage crept behind them with his cloak and retracted out his blades.

"Did you hear something?" asked one of the Vehicons.

"Where?" asked another Vehicon.

"Behind me" said the first Vehicon. The third Vehicon turned around and aimed his blaster behind them, but Mirage had moved out of the way.

"Keep moving, but be on guard" said the Vehicon leader "He's around here somewhere" Mirage crept up to the back of the line and silently took out one of the Vehicons. He then moved up and took out the next one, and the next one, until he eventually reached halfway through the line and one of the goggles Vehicons turned around briefly and spotted him.

"Hey, I see him!" said the Vehicon.

"Fire on him!" said the Vehicon leader. They turned around and started shooting at Mirage, who was able to dodge the shots until getting hit by one. He fell back with his cloak deactivated and hid behind cover.

"How am I going to get out of this one?" said Mirage quietly to himself. He peered over and noticed that one of the Vehicons held a grenade on his belt. He turned his hand into his blaster, aimed it carefully, and shot it at the grenade, causing to explode and take out all of the Vehicons.

"Well played" said a voice "But illogical" Mirage turned around and saw Shockwave and a group of Vehicons behind him. Mirage darted his head back to the hallway. "There is no point in running. As I said before; even if you get out of this tower, where would you go next? Running will only delay the inevitable; we will hunt you down and capture you. It is your choice" Mirage looked back to the hallway and ran off but was shot down by Shockwave in the process, causing him to collapse unconscious.

"They always run, don't they?" said Scrapper.

"Take him and bring him to a cell" said Shockwave. Two Vehicons picked Mirage up by the arms and dragged him off.

"Where did he come from?" asked Scrapper.

"His vehicle design is not of Cybertron, but it resembles some Earth designs that Lord Megatron has shown me in the past" replied Shockwave.

"He's from Earth?" said Scrapper "How did he get here?"

"With that cloak he must have walked through the space bridge unnoticed" replied Shockwave "I would recommend placing full security around it until the construction is complete"

"What are you going to do with him?" asked Scrapper.

"Nothing at the moment" replied Shockwave "But no doubt he holds great secrets about the Autobots that we can extract; and his personal cloaking device intrigues me. We'll keep him around for these reasons"

"Why not do it now?" asked Scrapper.

"It would be more logical to focus all of our efforts onto Megatron's alternative plan at the moment" replied Shockwave "Project: Harvester must be done with precision; and when it is over, the Decepticons will take the next step to winning the war"

 **Hellman76** : I do plan on introducing Hot Rod to the series.

 **kira444** : Glad to hear, thanks. I've already got plans for the season finale but I'm keeping them under wraps to avoid spoiling. And I'll detail the aftermath of the battle in the following chapters.

 **Just a Crazy Man** : Glad to you enjoyed it. Thanks :)

 **Guest** : I'm planning on having the Quintessons appear in the series eventually.

 **Martin** : I'll bring more detail into Jazz and Slipstream's relationships as the series progresses.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter. I hope you enjoy the following chapters as well :)


	24. Alive!

_An unknown location_

Crankcase and the other Dreads stood in Flatline's lab.

"The time has come" said Crankcase "We've waited long enough for this moment and we will not squander it"

"And what is this moment?" asked Drag Strip.

"Yeah, stop being so melodramatic and mysterious and actually give us an answer" said Breakdown.

"Simple" said Crankcase "Today is the day that we destroy the Autobots once and for all"

"And what makes you so we'll succeed this time?" asked Drag Strip.

"With the right strategy, of course" replied Crankcase. As he spoke, Airachnid slinked off with only Drag Strip noticing and remaining silent about it. Airachnid walked down the hallway and entered Megatron's room where he still lay silently as the Constructicons worked over him.

"How is the process going?" asked Airachnid.

"He's basically complete; exterior-wise, that is" replied Scrapper "We have yet to…wake him up, so to speak"

"What—" said Mixmaster before Hightower covered his mouth.

"Does he have something to say?" asked Airachnid.

"Nothing" replied Scrapper "He's just mumbling" Airachnid looked Mixmaster over with disdain.

"Wouldn't surprise me" said Airachnid with a look of disdain at Mixmaster "Any chance of doubling your efforts?"

"You can't rush art" replied Hightower.

"Anyway, is the…additional feature planted?" asked Airachnid. Scrapper nodded his head in response. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got something else to do" She turned and left the room with Megatron opening his optics.

"What is this "additional feature" she spoke of?" asked Megatron.

"That doesn't matter now" replied Scrapper "We've still got work to do"

"But you have basically repaired my body" said Megatron.

"True" said Scrapper "But we still have much physical therapy to go through before presenting yourself. If you're not truly functioning, Starscream could take advantage"

"He always does" said Megatron "But not before I turn him inside out!"

"Regardless, it's better to be safe than sorry" said Scrapper "Besides, we have the Dreads so—"

"I will not rely on these outcasts to achieve my victory for me!" snarled Megatron as he slowly stood himself, ripping multiple cords off.

"My-My lord!" exclaimed Scrapper "How are you already—"

"I will no longer work through pawns" said Megatron "This time, I will deal with the Autobots myself!"

 **Alive!**

 _The Ark_

Hound lay down on his back in front of the _Ark_ 's mountain and looked off into the distance.

"Something wrong?" asked Jazz as he walked up to him.

"We haven't seen or heard of Mirage for two days" replied Hound "Do you think he's—"

"Don't worry, Hound; I'm sure he's alive" said Jazz "We'll find him eventually"

"That's…That's actually not what I was concerned about" said Hound "I mean, I hope he's still alive"

"Then what was concerning you?" asked Jazz.

"On the day he disappeared, I talked to Prowl about it and…" replied Hound.

"And what?" asked Jazz.

"And…And he said something that upset me" replied Hound "He thinks that Mirage might be a Decepticon spy. I was just worried in case…what if he is right; what if Mirage is a traitor or something?"

"Prowl just expects the worse in people" replied Jazz "Don't tell him I said this, but he's a bit…paranoid…and bitter"

"But what if he is right about Mirage?" asked Hound.

"Then…Then he's right" replied Jazz "But we shouldn't give in to despair. Besides; if he were a spy for the Decepticons, wouldn't he have told them the location of the _Ark_ by now?"

"That's…That's actually a good point" said Hound.

"Exactly" said Jazz "So don't worry, everything will be alright"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus walked up to Ratchet at Teletraan I.

"Any recent Decepticon activity?" asked Optimus.

"Same as the last two days, none sighted" said Ratchet "No Starscream, Crankcase, or any rogues. Is this troubling you?"

"Lack of activity could imply either Starscream or Crankcase could be planning something" replied Optimus "Drag Strip and Breakdown were amongst the Decepticons who escaped Springer's custody and they helped him form the Dreads. And during the Initiative incident, Prowl reported Runabout and Runamuck's presence in their roster; both of whom were also amongst the escapees. With several other rogues on the planet, we could be potentially facing a bigger team and a bigger threat"

"Do you have any idea what Crankcase wants?" asked Ratchet.

"As Megatron's son, he feels determined to fill his father's shoes" replied Optimus "We saw this when he attempted to take Starscream's throne from him. But when we got in the way and ultimately ruined it for him, we became an equal target for him. Whatever he's planning to do next, we have to be prepared for"

"But he's the lesser threat" said Prowl as he walked up to them "We know that Airachnid is helping him, but he have no idea what her motivation for it is exactly. It was her idea to get involved with the Initiative; and because of that, we now have a new enemy. She's using Crankcase to gain enough power, but we have no idea what she's going to do with it"

"What a tangled web she weaves" said Ratchet.

"The quip was unneeded; but yes, basically" said Prowl "Which is why we have to stay on high alert" At that moment, the proximity sensors went off. "And it looks like something else is at hand" Bluestone exited out of the elevator.

"Came here to give you the latest update on the cover-up" said Bluestone.

"How is it going?" asked Optimus.

"I've got good news and bad news" replied Bluestone "Good news is that since we were able to evacuate most of the civilians from Carson City we were able to place the blame on a terrorist attack. Because they were pulled out before they could get a clear view of them, it's working well for the moment"

"That's actually a good cover story" said Prowl.

"Then what is the bad news?" asked Optimus.

"While most of the civilians were able to get evacuated in time, the ones that were still stuck in the city got a good view of the battle" replied Bluestone "Some of them even caught sight of you guys in robot mode. They're going to be much harder to convince"

"What are you going to do with them?" asked Optimus.

"For the moment, we're letting them resume their daily lives and trying to reassure them this won't happen again" replied Bluestone.

"Wait, you can't be serious" said Prowl "Letting them go free is a high risk; aside from seeing it firsthand, many of them may have recorded it"

"We've deal with these things before" said Bluestone.

"But not on this scale" said Prowl "You've just opened a security risk wide open. Why do this?"

"Because the alternative is locking them up or placing them under personal protection" replied Bluestone "And I think we all agree that the less people know about this secret the better. Remember; to the world we wouldn't be locking them up for witnessing something they shouldn't have, we'd be arresting them for simply being caught in the crossfire of a terrorist attack. The repercussions could be endless"

"Nevertheless, allowing people to walk free like that with what they witness is dangerous" said Prowl.

"Unfortunately it's also the lesser of two evils" said Bluestone.

"You can't just—" said Prowl.

"He is right, Prowl" said Optimus whilst stepping in "While the risk is still high, the alternative would be much worse. Locking people up could cause mass panic and I cannot allow that"

"If we had taken Blackout in while we had the chance, none of this would have happened" said Prowl.

"Perhaps" said Optimus "But we cannot dwell on what could have been, not now"

 _Meanwhile on in the suburbs of Carson City_

Melody sat at her computer whilst talking to Bobby on Skype.

"So anyways, that's what else happened today" said Melody "In short; it sucks to be grounded on the weekend"

"I hear you" said Bobby "Still couldn't you have told your mother something else?"

"You mean tell her that I was kidnapped by a terrorist organization and held hostage against my robot friends?" said Melody "Between the two, telling her that spent the night out and didn't tell her was the better option"

"That's a bummer" said Bobby "I was looking forward to hanging out at Autobot HQ"

"I know" said Melody "I've been going there for so long that it just seems weird to go straight home at the end of the day" At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"What's that?" asked Bobby.

"That's the sound of my mom telling me that chat time is over" replied Melody "Looks like we have to wrap it up there"

"Alright" said Bobby "See you at school"

"See ya'" said Melody. The chat ended and Heather entered.

"Tea's almost ready, honey" said Heather "Come down in a sec"

"Will do, mom" said Melody. As Heather exited the room, Melody slouched herself back onto her bed and sighed.

 _A few minutes later_

"So that's day five of being grounded over and done with" said Heather as Melody cut up her stake "Don't worry, only three more days left to go; and hopefully by then you will have had a long hard think about what you've done"

"I made a mistake, mom" said Melody "I went out and forgot to tell you; but I promise it won't happen again"

"It was still very unwise to leave that phone of yours off" said Heather.

"And I'll remember that" said Melody "But remember, mom; I'm not a little kid anymore, I'm 16 years old"

"I know, and you're growing up to be a fine young lady" said Heather "I guess I still just cling onto the view of you when you were young. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself, and don't do anything too rash"

"I will, mom" said Melody "Don't worry"

 _Meanwhile on the Nemesis_

Blackout sat in his cell when the door unlocked and Starscream entered.

"Enjoying our stay?" smirked Starscream.

"Finally come for a visit, I see" said Blackout.

"I just had to see how you were going" said Starscream "After all; it is my duty as Decepticon leader to inspect everyone on this ship, crew or prisoner"

"So that's what this is, you've come to gloat" said Blackout.

"What can I say?" smirked Starscream "You did bring all of this on yourself"

"If only you understood the direction the Decepticons needed to go in" said Blackout.

"You see, here's the thing; you keep going on about this whole "better good" and whatnot and yet you never share it with the rest of us" said Starscream.

"That's because you would never understand it" said Blackout.

"What do we have here, a "god complex"?" said Starscream "Stuff like that is one of the many reasons you're in here" Blackout clenched his teeth, turned his hand into his blades, and raised his arm up high; but Starscream merely chuckled because his blades had all broken off. "Remember, you broke your weapon on the night we captured you. In fact, I think those blades were a part of your vehicle mode as well; meaning if you transform, you can't fly off"

"You'll regret keeping me in here, Starscream" said Blackout.

"We'll see about that, Blackout" said Starscream as he left. Blackout smirked.

"We'll see about that, Starscream" said Blackout. He pulled a small comm-device out from his back and turned it on.

"What is it?" said a voice from the comm-device.

"This is Blackout" replied Blackout.

"So you finally decided to give me a call" said the voice "So what do you want?"

"I'll make this brief because I want to avoid attention; I was lucky to sneak this device in" said Blackout.

"Then I'd suggest to cut to the chase" said the voice

"I'm imprisoned aboard the _Nemesis_ " said Blackout "I require you to free me"

"Free you?" said the voice "From the _Nemesis_? Wouldn't it have been better if you had just avoided being imprisoned to begin with?"

 _Meanwhile in deep space_

On the cockpit of a starship, someone sat at the controls.

"Enough with the banter" said Blackout from the ship's comlink "Can you do it?" A hand extended out and checked the coordinates of the ship compared to Earth.

"You're lucky" said the voice "I'm not too far from the solar system you are currently at. It won't be too far out of my way"

"So can you do it?" asked Blackout.

"Depends" replied the voice.

"On what?" asked Blackout.

"I think you know what" replied the voice "Were you really expecting me to do this for free?"

"I can promise once we get out that I will pay you greatly" said Blackout.

"That's good" said the voice "I'll take any job" The figure in the chair turned around and revealed himself to be Lockdown. "For the right price"

 _Meanwhile_

At that moment, Bluestone's cellphone began to buzz.

"Hold on; I've got a call coming in" said Bluestone. He answered the call and placed his phone to his ear. "Hello…Uh-huh...Uh-huh…Okay, I'll tell them straight away" He placed the phone back into his pocket.

"What is it?" asked Optimus.

"This just in" replied Bluestone "Six US military bases across the country have been attacked all at once by Decepticons"

"Is Starscream amongst them?" asked Optimus.

"Not this time it appears" replied Bluestone "But from what I've been told, it appears that old pal of yours Crankcase is amongst them"

"Looks like the Dreads attack came after all" said Ratchet.

"I've been instructed to join in" said Bluestone as he turned to the elevator "It'd suggest you'd do the same"

"Give us a moment" said Optimus "We'll assemble together and form off"

"Better make it quick" said Bluestone "The bases won't hold out on their own forever"

"We'll be as fast as we can" said Optimus.

 _A few minutes later_

"…and if at all possible, try to make sure to bring them back alive" said Optimus "We may find some answers out of them"

"And hopefully this time they won't be doubles" said Jazz.

"Anything else?" asked Bulkhead.

"Agent Bluestone sent us locations of the bases under attack" replied Optimus "Since they're attacking six bases at once, we'll break off to take them individually. Be careful; since we don't know the full extent of their forces, be on guard at all times. Ratchet, ready the ground bridge" Ratchet nodded and opened the ground bridge.

"Time to split off" said Prowl.

"Bumblebee, Arcee; you'll be first" said Optimus.

"On it" said Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously. They transformed and drove through the portal. Ratchet readjusted the ground bridge.

"Jazz, Wheeljack; you're next" said Optimus.

"Let's do it" said Jazz. He and Wheeljack transformed and drove through the portal. Ratchet readjusted the ground bridge.

"Bulkhead, Breakaway" said Optimus.

"Ready to rumble!" said Bulkhead. He and Breakaway transformed and entered the portal. Ratchet readjusted the ground bridge.

"Ironhide, Hound" said Optimus.

"I'm in the mood to kick some tailpipe" said Ironhide.

"If it means protecting this planet, then yes" said Hound. They transformed and drove off into the portal. Ratchet readjusted the portal

"Prowl, you're with me" said Optimus.

"Likewise" said Prowl.

"Just to let you know, the sixth base is within Nevada, so you won't be too from here" said Ratchet "Take care, Optimus"

"Will do, Ratchet" said Optimus. He and Prowl transformed and drove through the portal and into the military base where they transformed, but there was no sign of any Decepticons anywhere.

"Wait" said Prowl "Where are they?"

"I can't see them anywhere" said Optimus. Prowl examined the damage around them.

"They've been here" said Prowl "But where are they now?"

"Maybe we can answer that" said a voice. They turned around to see a group of US soldiers approaching them.

"At ease" said Prowl.

"Good thing you showed up" said one of the soldiers "If those things had continued on, we would have been done for"

"Things; that implies there's more than one" said Prowl "Can you describe your attackers?"

"There were two of them" said the soldier "One of them was big, black, and had red eyes. The other was black with purple eyes and had extra appendages on her back"

"Crankcase and Airachnid" said Prowl "Looks like we're taking on the bosses"

"Soldier, do you know where they are now?" asked Optimus.

"They fled into the wilderness the moment that portal appeared" replied the soldier "They didn't waste a second" Prowl walked over to the edge of the base and examined the footprints.

"The footprints lead this way" said Prowl.

"Then that's where we're going" said Optimus.

"We may want to reconsider that option" said Prowl "Whenever Crankcase fled in the past, it was because there was absolutely no chance of winning. And he's shown that he's not afraid of any of us, not even you. Plus, he's always used a ground bridge generator to escape; him fleeing like this could mean only one thing, he wants you to find him. He's leading us into a trap"

"True" said Optimus "But Crankcase and Airachnid are the leaders of the Dreads and are the only things keeping the team together; without them, they won't function as well as a team"

"That's good observation" said Prowl "But is it worth it?"

"If we use caution, it might just be" said Optimus "Let's move. Soldiers, stay on guard; if the Decepticons return, signal us with a flare" He and Prowl moved towards the wilderness. "Prowl, if we find ourselves out of our league I will tell you to run"

"And leave you?" said Prowl "Optimus, you're our leader"

"I am also a prime target for Crankcase" said Optimus "With my presence, you have a fleeing chance"

"But this is unnecessary" said Prowl.

"That is an order, Prowl" said Optimus.

"Understood" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile at the first base_

Bumblebee and Arcee made their way through fire and charred remains as they navigated across the ruins of the base.

"This place has been banged up pretty bad" said Bumblebee.

"Is the Decepticon even still here?" asked Arcee. Suddenly, Spittor (in walker form) leapt over the base's remains and landed in front of them.

"Guess that answers your question then" said Bumblebee. Foul orange liquid dripped from Spittor's tentacles.

"It just had to be Spittor, didn't it?" said Arcee. Suddenly, Spittor shot out his tentacles and entangled her and Bumblebee within them.

"You had to say that, didn't you?" said Bumblebee.

"You're both mine now!" said Spittor.

"No thanks!" said Arcee. She retracted out her blades and cut her way through the tentacles before cutting through the tentacles that held Bumblebee. As the two of them rolled out, Spittor transformed (and was notably wearing a small pad on his shoulder).

"You little!" snarled Spittor. He leapt over them and roared.

 _Meanwhile at the second base_

"Careful" said Jazz "Whoever's been causing this damage could still be around"

"And he is!" yelled Drag Strip as he drove out and knocked both Jazz and Wheeljack down before transforming in front of them (and also wore the same pad).

"You always have to make an entrance; don't you, Drag Strip?" said Wheeljack.

"It's my specialty!" smirked Drag Strip.

"Really?" said Jazz.

"Uh….yeah" said Drag Strip.

"You mean more than say….winning?" said Jazz.

"What!?" exclaimed Drag Strip "No! Winning always comes first!"

"But you just said—" said Jazz.

"Just shut up and die!" snapped Drag Strip. He turned his hands into blasters and shot at Jazz and Wheeljack, who dodged back and hid behind cover. "Ha; looks like I'm going to win this one, Autobots!"

"I think I had a gadget for this but I left it back at base" said Wheeljack.

"Honestly, Wheeljack; I think that was for the better" said Jazz. He and Wheeljack transformed and started driving off.

"Oh; I don't think so, boys!" said Drag Strip. He transformed and drove off after them.

 _Meanwhile at the third base_

Breakdown drove up to Bulkhead and Breakaway and transformed (wearing the same pad also).

"Breakdown!" said Bulkhead.

"It had to be him, didn't it?" said Breakaway.

"You know; when Crankcase sent us out, I was hoping we'd meet again, Bulkhead" said Breakdown whilst turning his hand into his hammer "For a while now, I thought I'd never get a true smackdown on you"

"Yeah, yeah; you know how it works" said Bulkhead "We meet but I beat—" Suddenly, Breakdown swung his hammer forward, slammed it into Bulkhead's jaw, and sent him flying across the landscape.

"Uh-oh!" said Breakaway. As Breakdown swung forward at him, he transformed and flew out of sight.

"You know; what's the point of having such a big jaw if it's only a glass one, Bulkhead?" smirked Breakdown as he walked up to Bulkhead.

"You…You've never been that strong…" said Bulkhead as he got himself up.

"Yeah, got an upgrade" said Breakdown whilst pointing to his pad "This gives me a real boost; enhanced strength, speed, durability, the works!"

"Then I guess it's useless if it's busted!" said Bulkhead whilst turning his hands into his maces.

"Bring it on, Greeny!" smirked Breakdown. The two began to clash.

 _Meanwhile at the fourth base_

"Look!" said Hound. Runabout and Runamuck drove up to him and Ironhide and transformed.

"Who the heck are you two supposed to be?" said Ironhide.

"I'm Runabout!" said Runabout.

"And I'm Runamuck!" said Runamuck.

"And we're going to kick your tailgate off this dinky planet!" said Runabout.

"They were during the battle with the Initiative" said Hound quietly "They're new to the Dreads"

"Okay, you two; since your new, I'll take the pleasure of breaking you two out" said Ironhide "Consider it and initiation as one of our enemies"

"Time to return the favor!" said Runamuck. They transformed and drove at Ironhide and Hound at great speeds.

"Not if I shoot you first" said Ironhide. He aimed his cannons and started shooting at them but they didn't stop. "Shoot!" Runabout and Runamuck transformed and lunged at them.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus and Prowl walked across the landscape whilst following Crankcase and Airachnid's footprints until reaching a dead end.

"The tracks end here" said Prowl.

"Then that means we have to be even more cautious" said Optimus "Let's search the area for other traces; but stay alert" As he and Prowl examined the area for clues, Airachnid hung in the air, aimed a cannon at them, and shot webbing out at him.

"Optimus, watch out!" exclaimed Prowl. Optimus turned around, retracted out his blade and battle mask, and cut the webbing in half.

"Airachnid!" said Optimus "Crankcase, I know you are here; show yourself" At that moment, Crankcase drove up to him and transformed.

"You asked for me?" said Crankcase. Prowl turned his hand into his blaster and turned to Crankcase, but Optimus stopped him. "Not letting your minion take me on. I guess you want to talk"

"Crankcase, I understand how you must feel" said Optimus.

"Don't try to empathize with me, Prime" said Crankcase "You're words are just as hollow as your ideals. What makes you so sure you understand me?"

"Crankcase, I know that you were Megatron's son" said Optimus. Crankcase squinted his optics.

"So, finally figured it out" said Crankcase.

"I knew Megatron long before the war" said Optimus "I don't know why exactly he didn't let you in—"

"You want to know, fine!" said Crankcase "He never talked about me because hated me for existing. Long before you even met my father, he engaged with citizen within the city of Tarn and I was the result of that meeting. But when he found out about my existence, he wouldn't have my existence drag him down so he sent me to a city on the other side of the planet. I didn't even find out about my parentage until I had grown up; and back then, all I could think about was finding him and learning about who I am"

"So you went looking for him" said Optimus.

"I travelled across the war-torn planet, battling Autobot after Autobot until I finally got to approach him" said Crankcase "I revealed who I was and I expected praise and a welcome home, but I knew from the moment I saw scorn on his face that something was wrong. He had me taken out of his throne room claiming that he had no son, and I was exiled from Kaon. I was an enemy of the Autobots but most Decepticons treated me with scorn; I was an outsider wherever I went"

"Why would he do that?" asked Prowl "Even for Megatron that was low"

"Because I represented everything he hated about himself" replied Crankcase "I reminded him that he can't erase the things he regrets about his past. And he hated constant reminders"

"If he disowned you, why are you trying to fill in his shoes?" asked Prowl.

"For a time, I was at peace with how things had turned out" said Crankcase "At least until I arrived on this planet and discovered what had happened to Megatron and who was now sitting on his throne"

"Starscream" said Optimus.

"To say that the thought of him getting what was rightfully mine filled me with rage was an understatement" said Crankcase "I was his energon, an heir to his kingdom; and instead he entrusted that snake to be his second-in-command. That's when I realized that I had to take my father's place on the throne, regardless of what he thought of mew in life. And I would have had all of it if it weren't for you"

"Starscream forced us into that position" said Optimus.

"That doesn't matter" said Crankcase "With you out of the way, I can pursue what really matters"

"Crankcase, if you want to be better than Megatron you have to step away from his path" said Optimus "I've seen it happen before and I won't let it happen again. Please, stop hating"

"I can stop hating once I get I want is rightfully mine!" snarled Crankcase. He turned his hands into his clawed blades and charged at Optimus, the two clashing. Prowl pulled out his shurikens and aimed them at Crankcase.

"Not so fast, ninja bot" said a voice "It would be better if you saved your strength for yourself" Prowl turned around and faced Airachnid.

"There's plenty for you as well, Airachnid" said Prowl.

"Good, you'll need them" said Airachnid.

"One sudden movement and I'll drop you" said Prowl.

"You won't" said Airachnid "He won't let you" There was a sudden buzz and the loud sound of flapping insect wings. Prowl looked up into the sky and saw Waspinator flying down towards him before transforming and lunging down at him.

"Oh scrap!" said Prowl. Waspinator landed on top of him and pinned him to the ground.

"Waspinator got Ninja-Bot!" said Waspinator "Waspinator make Ninja-Bot hurt!"

"No…" said Prowl "I'll make you hurt" He used his shurikens to slash at Waspinator's hands before slashing him in the chest. Waspinator hissed and lunged at Prowl again. As the battle raged out, Airachnid looked on and grinned evilly.

 _Meanwhile_

As several Vehicons stood guard around the top of the _Nemesis_ , a flicker of a shadow passed them causing one of the Vehicons to turn around and aim its blaster at where it was.

"What is it?" asked another Vehicon.

"I thought I saw…never mind" replied the first Vehicon. As it turned around again, the shadow carefully crept into the entrance of the _Nemesis_ and through the hallways quietly.

"Stay on guard" said a voice. The shadow went back against the wall to hide itself as two Vehicons approached. "We don't want any intruders. If any get through—" The two of them stopped when they reached the shadow.

"What's that?" asked the other Vehicon.

"I don't know" replied the first Vehicon "It's some kind of shadow. Better be sure it isn't an intruder" It aimed its blaster at the shadow and was about to fire when the shadow jumped onto it and revealed itself to be someone dressed in a long cloak and hood who pulled out his blaster and shot the Vehicon in the face.

"What the!" exclaimed the second Vehicon "Barricade, I'm under attack by an intruder—" Suddenly, the cloaked figure leapt onto his back and started choking him with a long wire before cutting his head clean off with it. It then turned and snuck off down the hallway before Barricade, Dead End, and Hailstorm turned up down the hallway.

"Too late" said Barricade.

"Then what are we supposed to do now?" asked Dead End.

"There's still an intruder onboard and we have to prevent them from escaping" replied Barricade "Lord Starscream, mobilize the troops; an intruder's onboard the ship"

 _Meanwhile in the bridge_

"They've already killed two of our Vehicons" said Barricade from the bridge's comlink. Starscream looked back at Slipstream who shrugged.

"I'll send all available troops to Blackout's cell" said Starscream "You do the same"

"Yes my lord" said Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

Barricade, Dead End, and Hailstorm arrived at Blackout's cell as all the Vehicons arrived around it.

"There's been no sign of any intruders around here" said one of the Vehicons "The intruder may not have gotten here yet if his intentions were the cell"

"When that intruder arrives, I'm going to snap him in two" said Hailstorm.

"Check the cell" said Barricade.

"No one's been here so—" said the Vehicon.

"Check it" said Barricade. They opened the cell up to reveal it to be empty. "Lord Starscream, Blackout is gone"

 _Meanwhile_

"What!?" exclaimed Starscream "How?"

"The intruder must have broken him out without us noticing" said Barricade "But there are no signs of forced entry"

"Fan out across the ship!" snapped Starscream "Find them at all costs!"

"Yes Lord Starscream" said Barricade.

 _Meanwhile_

As the cloaked _Death's Head_ descended away from the _Nemesis_ and flew off into the skies around them, Blackout entered the cockpit where the cloaked figure was piloting.

"I thank you for the rescue" said Blackout "But was the disguise truly necessary?" The cloaked figure pulled its hood down and revealed itself to be Lockdown.

"If I got spotted, Starscream would have blacklisted me" replied Lockdown "And in my line of business, it's ill-advised to burn bridges like that"

"That makes sense" said Blackout.

"So where should I drop you off?" asked Lockdown.

"Let me lead the way" replied Blackout.

 _Meanwhile_

Spittor shot out his tongue, wrapped it around Bumblebee's wrist, and started winding him in.

"Get…off!" said Bumblebee as he desperately tugged back. He turned into his hand into his blaster and started shooting which caused Spittor to reel back his tongue in pain, but not before pushing Bumblebee back into the wall.

"AH!" exclaimed Spittor. At that moment, Arcee leapt onto Spittor's back and started slashing him with her blades.

"What's the matter?" smirked Arcee "Bot got your tongue?" Spittor galloped around in pain before transforming to shrug her off, transforming again, grabbing her by the shoulders, and started smashing her against the ground.

"You like pain?" said Spittor "Then fine!" As Bumblebee got himself up, his optics were immediately drawn to what was happening.

"Arcee!" exclaimed Bumblebee. He leapt up, sprinted over to Spittor, turned both his hands into his blasters, and shot wildly at the Decepticon until he fell unconscious. Bumblebee pushed him off of Arcee and helped her back up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…thanks" replied Arcee. As the two hugged tightly, she looked down at the unconscious Spittor and closed her optics with a tear.

 _Meanwhile_

Jazz and Wheeljack desperately raced across the rocky terrain as Drag Strip sped after them. Drag Strip was gaining on them so much that he was starting to bump them in the back.

"You can't keep up forever, Autobots!" smirked Drag Strip "I'm above you in both speed and stamina!"

"Jazz, whatever you're planning, do it now" said Wheeljack.

"Wait" said Jazz.

"Seriously; when we reach 88 miles per hour, I don't think we'll go through time" said Wheeljack.

"Wait" said Jazz.

"I'm coming for you!" said Drag Strip as he started bumping them again "Here's Drag Strip"

"Well, at least I'm not the only one who throws around pop-culture references" said Wheeljack. It was then that they started reaching a rocky slope leading down into a small chasm. "And that's my last fulfilling thought before I died, getting bashed on the way down and blasted to scraps"

"Wait" said Jazz.

"Seriously?" said Wheeljack "This is part where we wait?"

"Here I come!" said Drag Strip.

"To think all these years I thought I was going to die in some freak lab accident" said Wheeljack.

"Now, turn to the right" said Jazz.

"What?" said Wheeljack "Really?"

"Turn to the right!" said Jazz.

"Okay!" said Wheeljack. He and Jazz abruptly turned to the sides.

"Uh-oh!" said Drag Strip. The moment he reached the slope, he flipped over and tumbled down getting damaged by the sharp rocks until he reached the bottom and crashed painfully. Jazz and Wheeljack transformed.

"Great idea" said Wheeljack "Use misdirection and lure him into a trap. So, how did you know we'd reach a place like this so your plan could work?"

"Honestly, I was just hoping we'd find a place like this" said Jazz.

"What are you—" said Wheeljack "Oh…shame"

 _Meanwhile_

As Bulkhead and Breakdown continuously clashed, Breakaway landed on a rooftop, turned his hands into his blasters, and aimed them carefully.

"I'm better than you!" said Breakdown "Better than every stinkin' Wrecker!" Breakaway shot at his back to little effect. "Wow; what part of increased durability do you not understand?!" He retracted a rocket out from his shoulder and shot it at Breakaway.

"Scrap!" exclaimed Breakaway. He dodged out of the way just before the rocket hit where he was standing earlier.

"Breakaway!" exclaimed Bulkhead. Suddenly, Breakdown bashed Bulkhead straight in the face.

"Bad idea, Bulky!" said Breakdown as he raised his hammer "Hammer time!" At that moment, there was a loud metallic roar that hit the air. Breakdown turned around and saw a giant robot serpent above them, hissing malevolently. "What…What is that?"

"I don't know" said Bulkhead "Why are you asking me?" Breakdown stepped nervously.

"No!" exclaimed Breakdown "No! Stay away from me!" Bulkhead slowly got himself up and pummeled Breakdown in the face with his mace.

"It's all clear" said Bulkhead "You can come out now, Hound" The serpent disappeared and Hound stepped out.

"How did you know it was me?" asked Prowl.

"Please; I've been on this planet long enough to know what type of fauna live here" replied Bulkhead "Good thing Breakdown didn't" At that moment, Ironhide walked over to them with the unconscious Runabout and Runamuck over his shoulder.

"These guys weren't so tough" said Ironhide. He lay them down on the unconscious Breakdown.

"So that handles that" said Breakaway.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus clashed with Crankcase whilst Prowl fought back Waspinator.

"You could have avoided all of this had you simply stepped to the side" said Crankcase.

"I told you before, we had no choice in the matter" said Optimus.

"Then you should have thought about it better" said Crankcase. Waspinator zoomed up and flew down at Prowl again.

"Waspinator destroy Autobots!" snarled Waspinator.

"Yeah, I get the idea" said Prowl as he pushed Waspinator back. He looked over at two nearby trees that stood side-by-side together and an idea immediately popped into his head. He transformed, drove over between the trees, and transformed again.

"Come back!" snarled Waspinator.

"No, you come here" said Prowl. Waspinator blinked in confusion. "I mean it; look, I'm just standing here where anybody can get me. Come get me" Waspinator zoomed over to him when he pulled out a pair of shurikens and threw them at Waspinator. They turned into a large net which caught Waspinator up and attached to the two trees.

"Get me out!" snarled Waspinator "Get me out!"

"Sorry, can't do that" said Prowl. Waspinator growled in annoyance. Prowl then peered over at Optimus battling Crankcase and ran over to them.

"Stop this, Crankcase" said Optimus "I had hoped to end this peacefully but now you're leaving me with no choice"

"You say that as if peace was always an option" said Crankcase.

"I don't believe that" said Optimus.

"Then you'll die with that belief" said Crankcase. As Prowl pulled out several shurikens and prepared to throw them when a loud sonic boom hit the air as a jet vehicle flew down and crashed into the ground near them. As the smoke cleared away, Megatron emerged from the crater and walked over to them.

"I thought I made it clear when this war began, Prime" said Megatron.

"No!" said Airachnid as she slinked back into the shadows.

"Peace was long gone" said Megatron.

"Megatron!" said Optimus.

 _To be continued..._

 **Author's note** : This version of Breakdown is an amalgam of his G1 and _Prime_ counterparts; he's big and brutish on the exterior but deep down is paranoid and insecure.

 **Hellman76** : More female Autobots will come in as the series goes on.

 **SirEmpire** : Well, we'll see soon enough…

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Glad you liked it. I hope you liked the latest chapter.


	25. All Hail Megatron part 1

_Meanwhile in Nevada_

"It can't be!" exclaimed Prowl.

"How…How is this even possible?" said Optimus "You were…you were"

"I think we know by now, Optimus, that I am simply too stubborn to die" said Megatron "You left me in there to die; and I would have to, if Scrapper and the other Constructicons hadn't salvaged me from there" Crankcase's optics lit up.

"What happened to you then?" asked Optimus.

"Optimus—" said Prowl.

"No, I'll answer his question" said Megatron "I was badly damaged and rendered in a coma; so Scrapper and the others have spent the last few months repairing me and I've finally regained full strength again. Funny; they say that you become sluggish after experiencing a long dormant state like this, and yet…I feel stronger than ever" Crankcase walked over to Megatron and bowed before him. "What is this?"

"Father, it is a great honor to see you alive again" said Crankcase.

"And what makes you so confident as to approach me again?" asked Megatron.

"I worked with Scrapper" replied Crankcase "I was unaware of your presence, but we worked together nonetheless. Please, all I ask is—" At that moment, Megatron grabbed him by the throat and held him up.

"Whatever it is, it is too much" said Megatron.

"But—" begged Crankcase.

"It is always too much to accept something like you at my side!" snarled Megatron. He threw Crankcase out of sight.

"How could you do that, Megatron?" asked Optimus.

"You say that like you're surprised" said Megatron.

"He's your own son" said Optimus.

"That is only a technicality of his birth" said Megatron "It doesn't make him my son"

"I can't believe anyone can be that cold sparked" said Prowl "Not even you"

"Maybe because you don't know me at all, Prowl" said Megatron. Suddenly, Prowl threw all of his shurikens at Megatron at once, only for them to either be missed or caught in midair. "You should have let me finished talking first" He chucked the shurikens to the side. "Now where were we?" He retracted out his blade.

"And so it happens yet again" said Optimus whilst retracting his blades.

"I've looked forward to this for a long time" said Megatron. He charged at Optimus and the two clashed blades violently.

 **All Hail Megatron part 1**

 _Nevada_

Bulkhead, Ironhide, Breakaway, and Hound drove through the terrain as they heard the clashing.

"They're just up ahead" said Ironhide "I can hear them up ahead" The lights of blaster flickered up ahead

"I think I can see them" said Bulkhead. When they reached the fight between Megatron and Optimus, they stopped and transformed.

"Wait…is…is that—" said Breakaway.

"Megatron!" said Ironhide. Megatron turned his optics towards them.

"I…I thought you guys said that he was dead" said Hound.

"He was" said Bulkhead "I mean…we thought he was" Optimus pushed Megatron back to face the others.

"Autobots, get back!" said Optimus before Megatron shot him out of the way.

"Prime!" exclaimed Bulkhead.

"The other Autobots" said Megatron "Greetings"

"You're looking awfully well for a dead robot, Megatron" said Breakaway.

"Then let us put it to the test" said Megatron "Come on!"

"You feelin' lucky, punk?" said Ironhide whilst loading his cannon.

"He sure is feeling it" said Bulkhead as he turned his hands into maces "Let see if he is" He shot out his maces at Megatron who wacked both of them to the side with his blade.

"Take him!" yelled Ironhide. He and the other Autobots began shooting at Megatron who dodged the shots and rushed over to them where he punched Ironhide out into a large rock. Hound started shooting him continuously but Megatron grabbed him by the neck and slammed him into the ground.

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are" said Megatron "You will all fall!"

"Never!" said Prowl as he leapt onto Megatron's back only to get thrown to the side. He got himself up and leapt towards Megatron again but was bashed to the side. Breakaway transformed, flew at Megatron, and rammed himself into him but Megatron grabbed ahold of his wings.

"A flying Autobot?" said Megatron "Most Decepticons would view that as an accomplishment" He spun Breakaway around and threw him away. "But I know better" Bulkhead rushed up to him from behind and slammed his maces onto his back, but he turned around (more angry than hurt), charged up his fusion cannon, and blasted Bulkhead away.

"Ah!" exclaimed Bulkhead. Megatron walked over to him and charged up his cannon again.

"Such a waste of energon" said Megatron. Suddenly, Optimus tackled him down to the ground.

"Enough of this!" said Optimus "If there is no way around it, then let us end this once and for all!"

"In time, Optimus" said Megatron "But right now, I have more pressing things to adjourn to. But when we see each other again, I promise you that I will tear out your spark!" He transformed and flew off.

 _Later_

"And then…he just left" said Optimus.

"I can't believe Megatron's back" said Bumblebee "I mean…I thought…"

"We all thought that" said Optimus "But he survived through it"

"And apparently he's up to his old tricks again" said Prowl "We don't know what his plan is yet, but knowing him it's not good"

"As of now, we are officially on high alert" said Optimus "We have to be prepared to face any move that Megatron makes on us, but we also have to be prepared for both the defensive and offensive tactics"

"What do you want us to do?" asked Bulkhead.

"We'll act fast" said Optimus "Bumblebee, pick up Melody, Bobby, and Kate and bring them here; they were thrust into this and it's up to us to make sure they stay safe"

"Got it" said Bumblebee. He turned, transformed, and drove off out of the _Ark_.

"Ratchet, contact Agent Bluestone" said Optimus "He needs to know"

"Will do" said Ratchet.

"Everyone else, stay alert and ready" said Optimus. He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Prowl.

"If Megatron is mounting a master plan, we need every available Autobot at the ready" replied Optimus.

"But we all are, Optimus" said Prowl.

"By every available Autobot, I mean every available Autobot on this planet" said Optimus.

"What are you—" asked Prowl before realizing what he was saying "Wait; you're not talking about Grimlock and his team, are you?"

"They are powerful warriors and we need everyone we can get" said Optimus.

"But they are also some of the most insubordinate Autobots I have ever seen" said Prowl "You know very well that they won't follow you willingly"

"Grimlock did not long ago" said Optimus.

"Because he needed us, not because we needed him" said Prowl "There's no point in going, he doesn't care about any of us and he cares even less for this planet"

"Grimlock might be too big for this world, Prowl" said Optimus "But he is an Autobot nonetheless; and if I don't try, then we will definitely not have any more help" He transformed and drove off.

 _Meanwhile on the Nemesis_

As Starscream sat on his throne with Slipstream at his side, Barricade came rushing in.

"Lord Starscream, we have…an unexpected visitor" said Barricade.

"Who is it that would interrupt me like this unannounced?" snapped Starscream.

"Umm…well…" said Barricade shortly before Megatron stepped in which caused everyone to freeze instantly.

"It….It can't be…" said Starscream "It can't be!"

"Hello Starscream" said Megatron.

"L-Lord Megatron, you're alive!" said Starscream whilst instantly rushing down to bow down "Praise the AllSpark! It's a miracle!" Everyone (Slipstream included) stood to the side and watched as the scene played out.

"Tell me, what were you doing on my throne?" asked Megatron.

"I…I took charge, my lord" replied Starscream nervously.

"And why would you do that?" asked Megatron.

"I had to, my lord" replied Starscream "I mean; you're disappearance was a tragic loss to us all, but we had to endure nonetheless. I merely took it upon myself to stand in for your position"

"Starscream, I think you're smart enough to know that I'm not that stupid" said Megatron.

"Excuse me, what did you—" said Starscream shortly before Megatron grabbed him by the throat.

"It wasn't a coincidence that the Antarctic base collapsed in on itself at the very moment that I was in it" said Megatron.

"Lord Megatron, please!" begged Starscream "Mercy!"

"And you will get it" said Megatron "I have other plans to focus so I will grant you your mercy….eventually" He dragged the screaming Starscream off down the hall with a disturbed Slipstream looking on.

 _Meanwhile_

Bobby lay on his bed when he heard a loud car hoot. He instantly ran to the window and looked out of it to see Bumblebee parked on the sidewalk.

"Seriously?" said Bobby. He grabbed his coat, ran down stairs, and out of the door. "Bumblebee, what is it?"

"Get inside" replied Bumblebee whilst opening his backdoor up.

"What for?" asked Bobby.

"Just get inside" replied Bumblebee.

"Alright, alright" said Bobby as he got himself inside before Bumblebee zoomed off. "Woah; you're in quite a hurry today"

"Yeah, I'll explain it when we pick up Kate and Melody" said Bumblebee.

"Melody?" said Bobby "But she's grounded"

"I know" said Bumblebee "But since Optimus wants you all, she'll understand"

"Tell that to her mom" said Bobby.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus walked through the cloudy forest in search of Grimlock and the rest of his team. He reached an area where the trees had been cleared out and knocked down.

"Grimlock?" said Optimus "Grimlock, where are you?" At that moment, he heard thumping footsteps walking up to him from behind. He turned around to see Slug slowly walking up to him in beast mode.

"You are not welcome here, Optimus Prime!" growled Slug "Leave!"

"I have merely come to speak with Grimlock" said Optimus "Where is he?"

"No one speaks with Grimlock!" growled Sludge who walked up to them in beast mode.

"I don't want any trouble" said Optimus. Slug and Sludge began to circle him. "I want this to be quick"

"You should have thought of that before you came!" growled Sludge.

"Please, let me speak with him" said Optimus "It is urgent"

"I will say this one last time, Prime; leave!" growled Slug.

"Slug, Sludge; leave him!" snapped a voice. Grimlock walked up to them with Snarl and Swoop at his side. Slug and Sludge didn't comply. "I said "leave him"; we don't want the Boy Scout breathing down our necks" Slug and Sludge transformed and walked off.

"You were lucky this time, Prime" said Slug.

"Thank you" said Optimus.

"Don't get cocky, Prime" said Grimlock "I told you I'd rather not be disturbed. What is it?"

"I have urgent news and I'll try to keep it brief" replied Optimus "Megatron has returned"

"Returned?" said Grimlock "I thought he was dead"

"So did I" said Optimus "But he escaped it. I won't go into details right now, but right now he appears to be up to something. I'm not sure what it is yet, but I think we can both agree it's nothing good"

"And why do you come to me about this?" asked Grimlock.

"In this time of need, we need everyone available" replied Optimus "Please, we need your help, Grimlock; we need all of your help to stop him before it is too late"

"You just can't kill Megatron; can you, Prime?" said Grimlock.

"That's beside the point" said Optimus.

"No, it isn't" said Grimlock "It's always been like this; in moments of extreme, you say you're willing to up your game and kill that overgrown ground crawler but you never do. What makes you think you'll be able to go through with it this time?"

"Grimlock, we have to—" said Optimus.

"No" said Grimlock "You talk big Optimus, but you're ultimately too soft to go through with these things. But I'm not"

"What are you saying?" asked Optimus.

"I'm saying that I'll take care of Megatron myself" replied Grimlock. He turned to leave.

"Grimlock, no!" said Optimus "He's too powerful. You can't just—"

"Can't just what?" said Grimlock "And don't think you can stop me. I think you of all Autobots would know that it's no good" He, Snarl, and Swoop left leaving Optimus behind who face-palmed himself.

 _Meanwhile_

As Scrapper and the other Constructicons did work in the cave where the space bridge lay, Megatron stood in front of a screen which had Shockwave on it.

"Have you prepared everything on your end, commander?" asked Megatron.

"Everything per your order, my lord" said Shockwave "I trust the Constructicons have applied the modifications to the space bridge that I instructed them to?"

"They have" replied Megatron "And it is almost complete. I will contact you when it is ready"

"Understood, my lord" said Shockwave. As the screen switched off, a Vehicon walked up to him.

"Lord Megatron, we have something to show you" said the Vehicon.

"Let me see" said Megatron. A group of Vehicons approached Megatron with Blackout handcuffed. "What is this?"

"This fugitive recently escaped from our custody" replied the Vehicon "He approached our location and surrendered the moment he arrived. He told us he wanted to see you so we brought him up"

"Leave us" said Megatron.

"Yes my lord" said the Vehcion. It and the other Vehicons left.

"Blackout; it's been a long time, old friend" said Megatron "Although the current circumstances was unexpected"

"Likewise" said Blackout "I had some recent bad experience with the Decepticons so I knew I had to be cautious; that's why I allowed myself to be captured" Megatron ripped his handcuffs off and threw them to the side.

"Although I may ask you one thing" said Megatron "Slipstream has informed me of how you tried to take leadership of the Decepticons, various times; and that is how you got imprisoned. Care to explain?"

"I merely viewed Starscream as an ineffectual leader and decided to take matters into my own hands" replied Blackout "Although things didn't turn out as I had planned. I hope you can understand the situation I was in"

"That is fair enough" said Megatron "Although attacking the city head on was unnecessary" Blackout looked up at the construction before him.

"So what are you doing here?" asked Blackout.

"It is part of my backup plan" replied Megatron "Before I left Cybertron to return to our progress on Earth, Shockwave and I came up with a backup plan in case we should lose the AllSpark"

"How did you assemble this all together so quickly?" asked Blackout.

"It all began before I was fully repaired" replied Megatron "I had ordered Scrapper and the other Constructicons to build a communications device that could contact Cybertron; and with it, they were able to come into contact with Shockwave who helped explain my plan to them. With his instructions, they built a space bridge to travel between here and Kaon flawlessly. Shockwave was able to supply additional equipment for them to increase the space bridge's size. Now it will be able to project it above the planet"

"And what would you need for a space bridge of that size?" asked Blackout.

"That's where my plan comes in" replied Megatron "Shockwave has developed a device to attract raw energon to it, like a magnet. He has placed several around Kaon. When we open the space bridge, we will bring Cybertron to Earth and use the devices to rip every energon deposit out and to us"

"And what of Earth?" asked Blackout.

"It will be left ruined and inhospitable, yes" replied Megatron "But that is a small price to pay. Remember; without the energon supply, Earth is useless to us. With the great increase in energon, this war will tip in our favor" At that moment, Scrapper walked up to them.

"Lord Megatron, construction is complete" said Scrapper.

"Man the controls and await further instructions" said Megatron "I will inform Shockwave so we can prepare the next stage"

"Yes Lord Megatron" said Scrapper. He turned and left.

"Everything has come together as I had planned" said Megatron "And soon no Autobot can stand in my way, not even Optimus Prime"

 _Meanwhile_

As Melody sat on her bed reading a book, she heard her phone ringing downstairs, ran down to it, picked it up to see that it was Bumblebee, and sighed.

"Why now?" said Melody to herself. She answered the phone. "What is it, Bee; I told you that I'm not allowed to just call people while I'm grounded"

"Sorry, but this is urgent" said Bumblebee "Optimus wants you back at base now"

"What for? asked Melody.

"I'll explain along the way" replied Bumblebee.

"Along the way?" said Melody "You do know what grounded means?"

"I know" replied Bumblebee "But you have to come now. Believe me, the Decepticons won't care if you're grounded" Melody thought for a moment and sighed.

"I'll be out in a sec" said Melody.

"See you" said Bumblebee. Melody hung up. She walked over to a hall table, picked up a picture of her and her mother to look at it, and sighed.

"I'm sorry, mum" said Melody. She reached for a slip of paper and pen and started writing on it.

 _Meanwhile_

"No luck with Grimlock?" said Ratchet as Optimus entered.

"I'm afraid not" said Optimus "It looks like we're on our own"

"I suppose it was worth a try" said Ratchet "So what's our next move?"

"We'll be patient" replied Optimus "We'll stay on alert until something comes up" At that moment, Teletraan I let off an alarm.

"Speak of the devil" said Ratchet. He typed into Teletraan I which brought up a live video of the giant space bridge rising from a plateau nearby. "This is not far from here"

"Wait, zoom in" said Optimus. Ratchet zoomed in to reveal Megatron standing on the space bridge. "Megatron!"

"I guess we know where he is now" said Ratchet.

"Gather everyone" said Optimus "We have to mount an attack immediately"

 _A few minutes later_

A ground bridge portal opened up beside the space bridge and all of the Autobots ran out of it.

"What is that?" asked Hound.

"I've seen that before" replied Prowl "It's…It's a space bridge. One that's designed to project a portal of great size in space"

"What's he going to use it for?" said Arcee.

"Pretty much anything" said Jazz "Including fleets of starships"

"Which is why we have to shut it down before it even opens a portal" said Optimus "Autobots, charge!" As he and the other Autobots charged forward, Megatron looked down.

"Predictable of you, Prime" said Megatron "Trying whatever you can to thwart my plans. Well, not this time. Decepticons, attack!" An armada of Vehicon jets being led by Thundercracker and Skywarp flew out from behind the space bridge and down towards the Autobots.

"Well, I was expecting the welcoming committee to come sooner or later" said Bulkhead. At that moment, a large group of Vehicon cars behind led by Barricade drove up to them from behind.

"Ram them!" said Barricade.

"A double whamming" said Ironhide "Wow; they're quite big on the hospitality, aren't they?"

"Can you two take this seriously for just one minute?" said Prowl.

"Breakaway, can you give me a lift up there?" asked Optimus.

"I can try" said Breakaway "But I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to pull you up to the right height"

"Then I'll give you a running start" said Optimus "Everyone else, fend the attackers" He and Breakaway transformed and sped towards the space bridge.

"They're coming for us" said Megatron "Scrapper, how much longer?"

"Patience" said Scrapper "If we're even slightly off, everything will be for nothing"

"Lugnut!" said Megatron. Lugnut landed in front of them.

"What is it, my lord?" asked Lugnut.

"Protect Scrapper at all costs" replied Megatron "Destroy any Autobots who approach him"

"Yes my lord" said Lugnut whilst saluting.

"I've got a Prime to deal with" said Megatron.

 _Meanwhile_

"So without the AllSpark, what does Megatron want now?" asked Melody.

"We don't know yet, which is what makes things even worse" replied Bumblebee.

"Then what's Optimus going to do about it?" asked Bobby "I mean, he's always got some idea on what to do, right?"

"He does" replied Bumblebee "But right now, he seems…unsure"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Melody.

"I don't know" replied Bumblebee "He usually seems so calm during these sorts of things; and while he still is, something about it feels off. It's as if he's trying to stay cool-headed but deep down he's unsure of the situation"

"What reason do you think is behind this?" asked Bobby.

"It might be because he and Megatron go way back" replied Bumblebee "They've been fighting for years and years and then suddenly it looks like Megatron's gone forever, and I guess Optimus got used to it overtime and got at peace with himself; but now he's back, and I think Optimus just doesn't know how to deal with it"

"What the heck is that?" exclaimed Kate as she looked out the window. Bumblebee skidded to a stop and looked over at the space bridge nearby that was charging up.

"Scrap!" said Bumblebee.

"What is that?" asked Melody.

"I'll explain later" replied Bumblebee "First, we really need to get back to base. I'll call Ratchet for a ground bridge to get us there quicker" Suddenly, Dead End zoomed up to them on the road, transformed and walked over to them. "Oh dear!"

"Well, look who decided to turn up" said Dead End. Hailstorm walked over to them.

"Someone who looks ready for a beating" said Hailstorm.

"Reverse!" said Bumblebee as he reversed but hit into something solid.

"Going somewhere?" said Blitzwing.

"Double…no, triple scrap" said Bumblebee.

"More like quadruple scrap" said Astrotrain as he walked over to them.

"We have you surrounded, Bumblebee" said Dead End "Better to transform and fight then just sit there and let us beat you up" Bumblebee didn't comply.

"What's the matter, Autobot?" said Astrotrain "Are you yellow?"

" _YELLOW!_ " yelled Blitzwing before he burst out laughing.

 _Meanwhile_

"Breakaway, get ready" said Optimus as he neared the space bridge.

"Roger" said Breakaway as he aligned himself above Optimus.

"Now!" yelled Optimus. He transformed, sprung upwards, and grabbed onto Breakaway who zoomed upwards towards the space bridge. Optimus leapt off, retracted out his battle mask, latched onto the side of the space bridge with his blades, and used them to climb up. "Breakaway, go for the controls"

"Got it" said Breakaway. He flew around the space bridge until he caught sight of Scrapper at the controls. "Found 'em" He looked down at Lugnut. "And it looks like they've found some muscle to guard it.

"Is it too dangerous?" asked Optimus out of his comlink.

"If I get too close, yes" replied Breakaway "But it's not like I'm trying to protect the controls" He zoomed down towards the controls and started shooting.

"What are you just standing around for?!" snapped Scrapper "Stop him before he does any damage to the controls" Lugnut turned towards Breakaway, transformed, and flew towards him.

"Die Autobot!" growled Lugnut.

"Oh dear!" said Breakaway shortly before Lugnut rammed into him, transformed, and slammed and pinned him to the wall of the space bridge.

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus pulled himself up onto the rails and steadily walked his way across until he reached the controls.

"No!" exclaimed Scrapper "Stay back!"

"I have to shut this down" said Optimus as he walked over towards the controls.

"You can't do this!" said Scrapper whilst turning his hands into blasters "This is my life's work! If I lose it, Megatron will make me suffer for it!"

"I can't afford him to cause any more danger to this planet" said Optimus. Suddenly, Megatron leapt down and landed right on top of Optimus painfully.

"Did you mention my name, Prime?" smirked Megatron. Optimus admitted to wriggle free but Megatron pinned him down and slammed his head down. "Complete the process, Scrapper"

"Right" said Scrapper whilst turning his blasters back into his hands and continuing on with his work.

 _Meanwhile_

"No escape, Autobot!" snarled Lugnut as he pressed Breakaway harder and harder against the wall "You and all of your kind shall perish in Lord Megatron's conquest!"

"Not while Optimus is leading us" said Breakaway.

"Your leader is weak!" snarled Lugnut.

"We'll see about that soon enough" said Breakaway. He transformed and shot Lugnut in the leg.

"AH!" exclaimed Lugnut as he lost his footing and dropped off the space bridge, pulling Breakaway down with him.

"Oh…not good" said Breakaway as he and Lugnut plummeted and crashed to the ground.

 _Meanwhile_

"Almost finished" said Scrapper.

"No!" exclaimed Optimus as he tried to pull himself free again, only for Megatron to pin him down again.

"Relax, Prime" said Megatron "Everything will be over very shortly"

"It is ready" said Scrapper. He reached for the lever and pulled it down. Suddenly, the space bridge shot up a large beam which created a giant portal just above Earth, which gained the attention of all of the Autobots and Decepticons alike.

 _Meanwhile_

"What on Cybertron is that?" said Dead End. Suddenly, Bumblebee shot forward and rammed him down.

"Hey!" snarled Hailstorm before he started shooting at the fleeing Bumblebee.

"Ratchet, ground bridge NOW!" said Bumblebee into his comlink. A ground bridge appeared in front of him which he drove straight through.

 _Meanwhile_

As Optimus looked up at the sky he saw Cybertron slowly coming through.

"Is that Cybertron?" asked Optimus.

"Well done, Prime" replied Megatron "You finally discovered part of my plan"

"Why are you bringing it here?" asked Optimus.

"That's the other part of my plan" replied Megatron "That part you'll have to figure out" Optimus secretly retracted out one of his blades. "But I'm afraid you might not live to figure it through" Suddenly, Optimus stabbed Megatron in the forearm with his blade and rolled off the platform, skidding on the side of the space bridge in the process. "I never knew he had it in him"

"Ratchet, prepare a ground bridge" said Optimus into his comlink. He landed next to the unconscious Breakaway and Lugnut, picked up Breakaway, flung him over his shoulder, and ran off towards the other Autobots. "Autobots, retreat!"

"Should we go for them now?" asked Scrapper.

"No" replied Megatron "It would only be a waste of ammunition. Soundwave, assemble the Decepticon forces around the space bridge. Make sure that it is guarded at all costs"

"As you command, Lord Megatron" replied Soundwave out of his comlink.

 _A few minutes later_

Teletraan I displayed various reports and live videos of natural disasters being caused by Cybertron's orbit.

"I never thought I'd find myself unhappy to see Cybertron again" said Jazz.

"The governments across the world are trying to deal with the problems but I think we can all agree we've got to handle this problem" said Bluestone.

"What does Megatron hope to achieve by bringing Cybertron to Earth?" asked Ratchet.

"I think I may have some idea" replied Prowl "I had Teletraan I monitor the Earth's surface and I've found something that may just be connected; over the last hour or so, energon deposits have been getting nearer to the surface"

"So is Megatron using Cybertron to make the energon deposits more visible so he can harvest them?" asked Arcee.

"Worse" replied Prowl "I fear he's using it to collect the deposits and bring them back to Cybertron. There may be a finite amount of energon on this planet, but it's still a lot; enough to tear this world apart if they're all ripped out at once"

"That is not good" said Bulkhead.

"How can Megatron do that?" asked Hound.

"No doubt he got some help from Shockwave" replied Prowl "Stuff like this has his name all over it"

"Shock who?" said Kate.

"You don't know about Shockwave yet?" said Prowl.

"Probably because we don't bring him up on a regular basis so we never needed to explain to them about who he is"

"Then who was he?" asked Bobby.

"Shockwave is a Decepticon scientist and was one of Megatron's first followers long before the war" replied Optimus "During the war, Megatron placed him in a high ranking position and funded his experiments as part of the war effort"

"What did he do?" asked Kate.

"He created weapons" replied Optimus "Some of them were improved blasters, grenades, and other artillery; but some of them were much more unorthodox. He weaponized transformers surgically, using both Autobots and Decepticons as his bases, turning into something else entirely"

"So why haven't we seen him around?" asked Melody.

"When we originally left Cybertron, Megatron placed Shockwave in command of Decepticon operations while he was gone" replied Optimus "It seems that he found another use of his position"

"What are we going to do, Optimus?" asked Breakaway.

"First things first, we have to stop that machine from tearing up the planet" said Optimus.

"What's the plan then?" asked Jazz.

"We'll send someone to Cybertron to sneak into Kaon and take down the machine" replied Optimus "Ratchet, since Cybertron is in closer proximity, can you ground bridge any of us there?" Ratchet looked at Teletraan I.

"Only just" replied Ratchet "But we have to be careful; the ground bridge's range was meant for this planet, not above the atmosphere. If we're not careful, we could send someone across the galaxy"

"This mission will require stealth and subtlety" said Optimus "Bumblebee, Arcee; you will be sent. Do you accept?"

"We do" said Arcee.

"And what are the rest of us going to do?" asked Wheeljack.

"We will form a plan of attack against the space bridge" replied Optimus "We need to capture it from the Decepticons so we can send Cybertron back to where it belongs"

"Then why not just focus all of our resources on the attack?" asked Prowl.

"We'd still have Shockwave's machine as a loose end" replied Optimus "If they build another space bridge, they could revive the plan easily; if we destroy both the machine and the space bridge, we'll send them back by months. Megatron would gamble resources on a space bridge, but not on a plan that failed"

"Then it's official, we're going on the offensive" said Jazz "We're taking the battle to the Decepticons"

"Which is why we have to prepare for it with great force" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

As Starscream sat in his cell, the door suddenly opened to reveal Barricade standing there.

"You have a visitor, Starscream" said Barricade. Slipstream entered. "Remember, you only have a few minutes"

"I know" replied Slipstream. Barricade exited and shut the door.

"Finally come to pay a visit" said Starscream.

"We've only got a few minutes so I'll go straight to the point" said Slipstream "After what happened, it seems that Megatron has absolutely no reason to trust you ever again"

"Do you have to bring that up?" said Starscream.

"However, there may be a way around it" said Slipstream "I've spoken with Megatron and he's granted a way around"

"What is it?" asked Starscream.

"This is going to sound difficult but…you have to pledge loyalty to him" replied Slipstream. Starscream raised an eyebrow. "But you'll be free. Okay; he'll have you under surveillance, but you'll be free like the rest of us nonetheless"

"Free?" said Starscream "Do you think pledging loyalty to Megatron is freedom?"

"I know it's not what you may have wanted; but considering the circumstances, you're was lucky to get the offer" said Slipstream "It's better to take it before he gets bitter again"

"Do you expect me to respect him after he did this to me?" said Starscream whilst gesturing to the wounds on his chest.

"If you want to stay in this cell, then fine" said Slipstream "I just thought I'd give this a try. I guess I just wasted my time" As she turned to leave, Starscream grabbed her by the wrist.

"Or perhaps I could bring up your involvement" said Starscream.

"I've done nothing" said Slipstream.

"Please" said Starscream "When you found out about my plan, you were about to tell; that was until I gave you the offer to become my second-in-command. That was enough to keep you quiet"

"Let me go!" said Slipstream whilst pulling herself away.

"No" said Starscream "You'll probably have to get used to this cell eventually; after all, he's bound to find out eventually"

"LET ME GO!" snapped Slipstream as she pushed Starscream away. At that moment, Barricade opened the door up again.

"Time's up" said Barricade.

"Finally" said Slipstream. She left the cell and walked down the hall until she noticed Blackout walking up to Barricade and hid behind a corner.

"Captain Barricade, I have a proposal for you" said Blackout.

"What is it?" asked Barricade.

"Follow me" replied Blackout. The two of them walked down the hallway and Slipstream quietly followed them.

 _Meanwhile_

As Ratchet opened up the ground, Bumblebee and Arcee transformed and drove through.

"Good luck, Bumblebee and Arcee" said Optimus "And take care" Bumblebee and Arcee drove out onto the surface of Cybertron just outside Kaon and transformed.

"Well; there it is, Kaon" said Bumblebee. They looked at it up and down and noticed three large pillars with a glowing blue light surrounding Shockwave's tower. "And I bet those are the machines we have to take down"

"That place is probably crawling with guards" said Arcee "We'll have to stick to stealth, a lot"

"Agreed" said Bumblebee. The two of them slowly snuck off towards Kaon.

 _Meanwhile_

"More guards, typical" said Jazz as they examined the space bridge via Teletraan I.

"At least, as far as we can make out, those are the only permanent defenses aside from the turrets" said Prowl "And we've dealt with them before; only now it's more quantity"

"Permanent?" said Jazz "As in there are things that are not always permanent but…potentially still dangerous"

"I've examined it and found that the biggest threat is not the guards or the turrets" said Prowl. The _Nemesis_ flew past the space bridge. "Every twenty minutes, the _Nemesis_ flies past the space bridge and gets a clear sight of everything and everyone on the terrain; and we all know how much firepower that thing carries" Optimus looked carefully at the _Nemesis_ and noticed Megatron standing on top of it.

"And it looks like Ol' Megatron himself is overlooking the defense" said Jazz "That's never a good sign"

"He's got eyes like an Earth eagle and is twice as vicious if something stands in his way" said Prowl "That's why we have to work hard on the plan of attack"

"Then we'd better get started" said Ratchet.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee snuck carefully past the Vehicons who guarded the machines around the tower and reached the first machine.

"There it is" said Arcee quietly "Seems they control it individually with that control pad" They looked over at the Vehicon who guarded it.

"And they've got someone on guard duty" said Bumblebee quietly "Time to use stealth" Arcee quietly snuck up behind the Vehicon, leapt onto it from behind, covered what would be its mouth, and pulled it to the ground.

"Hurry!" said Arcee quietly. Bumblebee ran over to the control pad of the machine, examined it, and pulled down the lever, causing the machine to power down. "Good" She punched the Vehicon out. Bumblebee then shot the control panel. "What was that for?"

"We need to make sure the machines are damaged somehow" replied Bumblebee "We don't want Shockwave to simply turn them back on"

"Good idea" said Arcee as she got herself up "But I think we'll have to do some more damage to the next two; Shockwave was able to create these things from scratch, he can repair a simple control pad"

"Now for the next one" said Bumblebee. The two of them crept off to the next machine.

 _Meanwhile in Shockwave's tower_

"Commander, power to energon rod #1 has been turned off without authorization" said a Vehicon at the controls.

"Autobots have infiltrated us" said Shockwave.

"How did you—" asked the Vehicon.

"These energon rods are a vital part of Megatron's plan; if they are destroyed, everything falls down" said Shockwave "Megatron would not waste time on a failed plan of this scale so he won't have us rebuild it"

"What do you want us to do, commander?" asked the Vehicon.

"Focus all security upon the third energon rod" replied Shockwave.

"But commander, shouldn't we focus security on the second so we can catch them quicker?" asked the Vehicon.

"If they deactivated the first rod, they will already be on their way to the second rod if they are not there already" replied Shockwave "Focus security upon the third rod and their capture is assured"

"Yes sir" said the Vehicon.

"Time for the Autobots to learn that getting in is different to getting out" said Shockwave.

 _Meanwhile_

As the Autobots gathered in the _Ark_ , Optimus sat at Teletraan I and examined the live feed.

"Preparing ourselves for battle is only part of the plan" said Prowl "If we attack head on, we'll only invite disaster. That is why we're going to form a plan; I've observed the security system and it seems straightforward, except for the most dangerous part. The _Nemesis_ swings by the space bridge every twenty minutes and Megatron himself observes the field in case of intruders, which is why we have to spring into action immediately after the _Nemesis_ has certainly left so we have enough time"

"I will go" said Optimus whilst standing himself up.

"Excuse me?" said Prowl.

"I will go to the _Nemesis_ and take Megatron on" replied Optimus "He cannot ignore me, especially if I issue a challenge to him; that way I can buy you some time"

"And if this doesn't work, it will all be for nothing" said Prowl.

"We're not going to argue this, I'm going to do it" said Optimus. Prowl sighed.

"Fine" said Prowl "But tell me; how long will your rivalry keep Megatron at bay for before he realizes what's going on?"

"Then I guess that's the rest of the plan" replied Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee snuck their way towards the last energon rod.

"Looks like that's the last one" said Arcee quietly.

"Right" said Bumblebee quietly. Arcee started moving towards the rod. "Hey, are you alright?"

"Yes" replied Arcee quietly "Why do you ask?"

"Well, something about you just seems…off, is all" replied Bumblebee quietly.

"What do you mean by off?" asked Arcee quietly.

"Well…just…off" replied Bumblebee quietly "It just feels like something's bothering you" Arcee sighed.

"Okay, there is something" said Arcee quietly "It was back when we were facing Spittor. You really beat him up when he attacked"

"It was to save you" said Bumblebee quietly "Besides, he's just unconscious is all"

"I know, and I'm grateful for that" said Arcee quietly "I'm just starting to worry that…maybe this relationship isn't ideal"

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" asked Bumblebee quietly.

"It's difficult as it is out on the field, but now we have to worry for each other" replied Arcee quietly.

"Yeah, but teammates always do that" said Bumblebee quietly.

"Not in the same way we do" said Arcee quietly "Perhaps it's…it's a little too much"

"Are you talking about…ending this?" asked Bumblebee quietly.

"I don't know what I'm talking about, honestly" replied Arcee quietly "It just seems like this relationship is harder than I had originally thought it would be"

"Well, what are we going to do then?" asked Bumblebee quietly.

"We'll discuss it back on Earth once this is all over" replied Arcee quietly "Right now we have to—" At that moment, a bright searchlight flashed on top of them.

"Hands up, Autobots!" said a voice. As Bumblebee and Arcee's optics adjusted to the light, they realized that they were surrounded by Vehicons all of whom had their blasters pointed at them. "I said hands up!" As Bumblebee and Arcee lifted their hands up, Shockwave walked up to them and examined them.

"Mere scouts and espionage agents" said Shockwave.

"What should we do with them?" asked a Vehicon.

"Lock them away" replied Shockwave "I'll deal with them later"

 _Meanwhile_

Optimus opened up a cabinet in his quarters, reached in, pulled out a double-bladed energon axe, and looked at it. At that moment, Ratchet entered.

"Optimus, it's time" said Ratchet.

"I'm ready" said Optimus.

 _A few minutes later_

Ratchet opened up a ground bridge.

"Best to go through now" said Ratchet "It won't stay in one place for long"

"Just remember to keep him occupied for however long possible" said Prowl.

"Acknowledged" said Optimus. He turned to leave but was stopped by Ratchet.

"Optimus, promise me this; come back safe" said Ratchet "Don't throw away your life"

"Don't worry, Ratchet; I will" said Optimus whilst retracting out his battle mask. He ran through the portal and was transported to the top of the _Nemesis_.

"Well, look who decided to show himself" said Megatron "I was expecting you to come at some point, Optimus"

"Megatron, I gave you a chance; many, many times" said Optimus "But now I see that you have only used it against me"

"Finally waking up, I see" said Megatron "This is war, Optimus; to sympathize with the enemy is to invite disaster"

"I thought we could've ended this peacefully; but now you have not only endangered the lives of countless Cybertronians, but innocent Humans as well" said Optimus.

"Standing up for the weak, how noble" said Megatron sarcastically.

"They are not either of our enemy, Megatron; and yet you continue to antagonize them, and now this" said Optimus "You would risk their whole world?"

"After all these years, and even after you came to revelations, you are still as naïve as when we first met" said Megatron "You were chosen wrongly to lead the Autobots"

"Enough of this" said Optimus "I have stood idly by long enough, it ends now. Today, one shall stand…"

"…and one shall fall!" said Megatron. He pulled out a large Sauron-like energon mace that glowed purple. The two of them charged at each other and clashed their weapons together. "Tell me; why throw away your life so recklessly, Prime?"

"That's a question you should ask yourself" said Optimus.

"No!" snarled Megatron "I'll crush you with my bare hands!"

 _To be continued…_

 **Author's note #1** : Bringing Cybertron to Earth was inspired by _The Ultimate Doom_ three parter.

 **Author's note #2** : Just to let everyone know, the next chapter shall be the last for this season and afterwards I shall return to my other fanfiction series. It's been a long journey but a worthwhile one nonetheless and I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing and helping me through.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Well, here comes the battle between Optimus and Megatron.

 **Hellman76** : The Predacons will come into the series eventually.


	26. All Hail Megatron part 2

**Author's note** : Well, it's finally come; the grand finale. Well, I hope you all enjoy it :)

 _The Nemesis_

Megatron violently drove Optimus back as they battled on top of the _Nemesis_.

"What's the matter, Prime?" smirked Megatron "Is war not your thing after all?"

"The war was lost long ago, Megatron" said Optimus "And yet you still fight it as if it never left, destroying everything and everyone in the crossfire"

"The war never left" said Megatron "It just moved up its scale, causing greater measures to be taken"

"Not these measures" said Optimus "If you keep doing this, both sides will lose"

"You clearly haven't learnt a thing" said Megatron "I never lose! And no one, neither Autobot nor Decepticon, should dare to defy me!"

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream followed Blackout and Barricade until they reached a group of Vehicons at the end of the hall.

"Here we are" said Blackout. Slipstream hid and peered out.

"So why have you brought me here?" asked Barricade.

"I need your help" replied Blackout "I have a plan to change the fate of our kind forever, but I need help for it to unfold. I guarantee that by the end of this, our names will go down in history"

"What do you want us to do?" asked Barricade.

"We are going to take the space bridge from Megatron" replied Blackout. Slipstream's optics lit up.

 **All Hail Megatron part 2**

 _The Nemesis_

"Take the space bridge, are you insane?" said Barricade "What do you need it for?"

"I shall explain that eventually" replied Blackout "But right now, let us get into position"

"Do you seriously think I'm crazy enough to follow you?" said Barricade "First, you say something insane; then you expect me to go along with it. Well I won't" He turned to leave.

"Stop him" said Blackout. The Vehicons stepped in Barricade's way and pointed their blasters at him.

"What is this supposed to be?" said Barricade

"I have just spoken to about part of my plan; I cannot allow you to tell anyone about it" said Blackout "I need someone to lead the charge with me, so I chose you"

"You should have thought of that before you brought me here" said Barricade.

"I did" said Blackout "It's either you help me or you die" Barricade turned to see that the Vehicons were charging their blasters. He slowly reached up for his comlink. "And if you so much as touch that comlink, I'll have you shot on sight"

"Fine!" sighed Barricade "But I expect answers for this"

"In due time" said Blackout "But there's something we have to deal with first"

"And what's that?" asked Barricade. Blackout turned, turned his hand into his cannon, and shot it at the corner Slipstream was hiding behind, causing her to roll out.

"Dealing with the eavesdropper" replied Blackout.

"Blackout, you snake!" said Slipstream as she got herself up.

"Snake?" said Blackout "If you understood what was at stake and what was necessary, you would know full well that history shall not share that view"

"Stop speaking cryptic and start making sense" said Slipstream.

"I would but you still wouldn't understand it" said Blackout.

"Oh for spark's sake!" snapped Slipstream as she raised her rockets at them.

"Kill her" said Blackout. Barricade and the Vehicons raised their blasters at Slipstream and started shooting at her.

"Oh scrap it!" snapped Slipstream. She turned, transformed, and flew off.

"After her!" snapped Blackout "We cannot let her escape!" Barricade and the Vehicons transformed and drove after her before shooting at her until a critical shot hit her wing, causing her to spiral out of control and smash out of a window.

 _Meanwhile on Cybertron_

The Vehicons pulled Bumblebee and Arcee (both wearing collars across their necks) down the hall before reaching a large cell and throwing them into it.

"I think we may have just found ourselves over our heads" said Bumblebee.

"Never mind that; we have to get out of here" said Arcee "They'll be taking the space bridge any moment now; and every communication in this city is subject to interception meaning we can't call them"

"Then what next?" asked Bumblebee.

"We find a way out of here, that's what" replied Arcee.

"Then let's search the cell" said Bumblebee.

"There's no point" said a voice from the shadows. Bumblebee and Arcee turned to face it. "I've already looked around here for ages and have found nothing"

"Who are you?" asked Arcee.

"Don't you recognize me?" replied the voice. Mirage sat up out of the shadows.

"Mirage?!" exclaimed Bumblebee "What…What are you doing here?"

"I found a space bridge but got captured by Shockwave's forces" replied Mirage "I've been in here ever since. I've tried finding a way out but there is none; everything is full proof"

"If we can't sneak out of here, we'll have to blast our way out of here" said Bumblebee. He turned to the door and tried to turn his hands into his blasters, only for nothing to happen. "What on Earth?"

"You see those collars around your necks?" said Mirage. Bumblebee and Arcee touched the collars across their necks. "Those things disrupt your t-cog to keep you restrained. No transforming, no weapons; and they even disrupt your other abilities, such as cloaking"

"Well, we have to do something" said Arcee.

"Yeah; besides, they already made a mistake by letting us share a cell" said Bumblebee "We can come up with an idea in here"

"This isn't the official cell, only a holding one" said Mirage "Once Shockwave's done with his current project, he'll move us to the official cells where he'll conduct experiments on us"

"But we have to escape, or Megatron will tear the Earth apart" said Arcee.

"But that's the problem" said Mirage "There is no escape, no way out of here; we've lost and Megatron has once, it's only a matter of time now"

 _Meanwhile_

"Commander Blackout, we have found where Slipstream landed but there is no sign of her" said a Vehicon as he walked up to Blackout and Barricade.

"Then we'll have to up our schedule" said Blackout "We'll take the space bridge now" He walked over to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the space bridge and the Decepticons surrounding it.

"If we're going to attack now then can you at least tell me the purpose of all of this?" asked Barricade.

"Very well" replied Blackout "It all began shortly after Megatron and the rest of you departed Cybertron after the AllSpark in which I travelled the vast wastelands of Cybertron in search of a means to overpower the Autobots. I eventually found myself in Iacon and eventually reached the Hall of Records. I spent several years traversing it, checking every inch to make sure I covered everything; within that time, I read every book and scripture I could get my hands on, from the _Covenant of Primus_ to _Cybertron: A History_. After a long time, I came to a revelation; the truth that neither Autobot or Decepticon had come to accept but which I had due to my travels and my research"

"And what's that?" asked Barricade.

"Cybertron is beyond saving" replied Blackout "Do you remember the state of Cybertron's decay when you left?"

"Yes commander" replied Barricade.

"It has only continued to do so" said Blackout "What was once vast glowing cities and hospitable environment is now nothing more than a graveyard of everything that once was; cold, pale, and broken beyond repair"

"But sir, it's not beyond saving" said Barricade "There has to be a way to revive it"

"With the AllSpark we had a chance" said Blackout "But with it gone, there is no point to continue this futile agenda. A new slate must be made; and for that to come to be, Cybertron must be destroyed"

"Destroy Cybertron?" said Barricade.

"I can understand why you would be uneasy about that, so let me explain" said Blackout "What was once home to both Autobot and Decepticon alike has become nothing but a hindrance to all of us. We have lost countless resources on false hope of reviving the planet when we should have spent our time on new colonization" Barricade slowly reached up to his comlink but Blackout quickly turned his hand into a cannon and pointed it at him. "This will be a final warning; do something like this again and I will not hesitate to shoot you" Barricade barred his teeth. "As I was saying; colonization is the way of the future; and if all Cybertronians refuse to see that, then we'll have to remind them that there is no hope for Cybertron"

"I thought you and Megatron were friends" said Barricade.

"We were" said Blackout "But after seeing him explain his plan to me, I now know that he just as delusional as Optimus Prime. Time to get into position"

 _Meanwhile_

Just behind the field filled with Decepticons, Jazz, Bulkhead, Ironhide, Wheeljack, Breakaway, and Hound hid and watched carefully.

"They're out in full force" said Jazz.

"The whole Decepticons sha-bang" said Bulkhead.

"You getting this, Ratchet?" asked Prowl into his comlink.

"In every possible detail" replied Ratchet out of his comlink.

 _Meanwhile in the Ark_

"In fact; if I didn't know better, I'd say they had increased in number" said Ratchet as he observed the Vehicons on Teletraan I.

"For all we know, they might've" said Melody.

"And she's not kidding, Ratchet" said Prowl out of Teletraan I "By the looks of it, Shockwave may have just added some more bulk to Megatron's army"

"Then be extra cautious" said Ratchet.

"So what are Prowl and the others going to do when they take the space bridge?" asked Bobby.

"The portal is already up so all they need to do is to move it over Cybertron to bring it back into its right spot" replied Ratchet "But they have to be extra careful and precise. There are still many Autobots and Decepticons on Cybertron, including Bumblebee and Arcee. A wrong move could cause the deaths of many of them"

"And if they leave that thing in orbit for too long, it could kill millions by tearing the Earth apart" said Bluestone "That's something I can't allow"

"It's worse" said Ratchet. He brought up an image of Earth with Cybertron orbiting it. "I've run a simulation and found something most disturbing; Cybertron is too big to stay within Earth's orbit forever" The simulation showed Cybertron slowly edging towards Earth. "If it's left orbiting for too long, the planets will collide into each other" The simulation showed Cybertron colliding into Earth. "This will kill more than millions on both planets"

"Would Megatron have run this simulation?" asked Bluestone.

"I doubt it" replied Ratchet "Considering he's a power-hungry tyrant who's greatest obsession is lying just in front of him, he probably didn't bother with one"

"Then what are we going to do now?" asked Bluestone.

"Relax, just leave it to them" replied Ratchet "They'll know what to do"

 _Meanwhile_

"What do you mean we have to reevaluate the plan?" asked Jazz.

"With the increased number of Vehicons, things have shifted somewhat" replied Prowl "We have to shift with it"

"Why don't we just go in and blast them?" asked Ironhide.

"Because no matter how many we may manage to shoot down, they'll always be many more who'll swarm us" replied Prowl "That's why we're taking this subtlety. First we'll have to observe their movements and then—"

"Jazz…" said a faint voice.

"What?" asked Jazz.

"We need to observe their movements—" replied Prowl.

"No, no; not that" said Jazz "I got that part. I just heard you say my name so I thought—"

"I didn't say your name, Jazz" said Prowl.

"Well, someone did" said Jazz.

"Over here…" said the voice. Breakaway and Hound turned around and stepped back as they saw who was speaking.

"Prowl, you may want to see this" said Breakaway. Everyone else turned around to see Slipstream badly wounded, with one of her wings blown off, and bleeding energon.

"Slipstream!" exclaimed Jazz.

"Ironhide, keep your cannons on her" said Prowl. Ironhide nodded and pointed his cannons at Slipstream. Prowl turned his hand into his blaster and pointed it at her. "Don't you dare move!"

"For Primus sake, Prowl!" said Jazz whilst rushing through over to Slipstream.

"Jazz, don't" said Prowl "We can't take any chances with her"

"Slipstream, you alright?" asked Jazz.

"Yeah, I'm fine" replied Slipstream "Mostly"

"Now we're just wasting time" said Prowl.

 _Meanwhile_

Scrapper and the other Constructicons watched carefully as Optimus and Megatron.

"That's Prime!" said Bonecrusher "Let's get him!" He stepped forward, only to get stopped by Scrapper

"Not yet" said Scrapper "We'll only attack when Lord Megatron calls for us"

"At least it's something that's not construction work" said Long Haul. Megatron slammed Optimus against a fin on the _Nemesis_ and slammed down his mace, only for Optimus to block it with his axe.

"Not bad, for a librarian" said Megatron "Maybe you should have spent more time in the pits"

"Maybe you should have spent more time in the library" said Optimus "Then at least you would have learnt that all tyrants fall eventually"

"Don't count on history to repeat itself, Prime" said Megatron. Suddenly, a sword blade pierced through Megatron's stomach.

"Got you!" snarled Grimlock. A look of shock befell on Optimus's face. Megatron turned his head around and grinned evilly.

"You should have aimed for my spark!" said Megatron. He grabbed ahold of the sword blade in his stomach, poked Grimlock in the chest with the other end of the sword, turned around, and punched Grimlock in the jaw, sending him flying across the _Nemesis_. He pulled the sword out of his chest and threw it to the side.

"I'll keep that in mind" said Grimlock as he got himself up and transformed "Lightning Strike Coalition, attack!" The other members of Grimlock's team ran up and transformed.

"Quite a cavalry you've got here, Prime" said Megatron "Alright, come and get some!" Grimlock and his team charged forward at Megatron who leapt into the air, pulling down Swoop in the process. He then landed on top of Sludge and pulled him to the ground by the neck. Suddenly, Slug and Snarl charged towards him but he stepped aside just in time, causing the two of them to smash into each other. Grimlock charged at Megatron who grabbed him by the mouth. "Is this really the best you and your team has to offer, Grimlock; I would have thought you were capable of much more" Suddenly, Optimus got himself up, transformed, and rammed himself into Megatron before transforming back.

"Took you long enough" said Grimlock.

"If you're getting help from your friends, fine" said Megatron "I'll just have to get help from mine. Scrapper, unleash the ultimate weapon!"

"Constructicons, transform phase 1" said Scrapper. He and the other Constructicons transformed and drove towards Optimus and the others.

"Got some more incoming, Grimlock" said Swoop.

"We'll scrap 'em all the same" said Slug.

"Now transform phase 2" said Scrapper. He and Mixmaster leapt up into the air and transformed as they landed. However; instead of transforming into their robot modes, they had instead taken the form of a pair of legs. Long Haul leapt over them and formed a lower torso with Scavenger forming an upper torso. Bonecrusher leapt to the side and formed a right arm whilst Hightower formed a left arm. Now what stood before them was a robotic and beastly giant with a large red visor and sharp teeth.

"I am DEVASTATOR!" snarled the giant in a low grumbly monstrous voice.

"What is that thing!?" exclaimed Snarl.

"It's a Decepticon combiner" replied Optimus "A single giant made out of multiple Cybertronians"

"Whatever it is, I'm going to beat the scrap out of it!" snarled Slug. He charged towards Devastator.

"Slug, wait!" exclaimed Optimus. Just as Slug was about to reach Devastator, he was grabbed by the giant, lifted up, and thrown to the side.

"Prepare for extermination!" growled Devastator. Sludge charged up to him but got punched into the ground (his optics briefly popping down in a Looney Tune like manor) and was kicked the side. Snarl rushed up to him and battered him on the leg with his tail multiple times by Devastator kicked him away Swoop swooped in knocked him off his feet onto his back, but was knocked down in the process. Grimlock turned and charged towards him.

"You're dead, Decepticon!" snarled Grimlock as he leapt on top of Devastator. Suddenly, Devastator grabbed him by the snout and pushed him to the ground.

"You cannot beat me, Autobot scum!" snarled Devastator.

"Well, well, well; looks like it's just us again" said Megatron. He swung his mace towards Optimus who blocked it off with his axe.

"As it would seem, Megatron" said Optimus.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee lay on the floor of the cell, looking up at the ceiling.

"Well; I hate saying this, but I just…just can't think of a way out of this" said Bumblebee.

"At least we tried; but in the end, there was nothing we could do" said Arcee "Bee, I've got something to tell you"

"What's that?" asked Bumblebee.

"Before…with the whole relationship thing, I'm sorry" replied Arcee "I was just feeling a little uneasy about everything, I'm sorry if I upset you about it" She reached her arm over and clenched his hand tight.

"It's okay" said Bumblebee "I understand that sometimes being together can be a bit difficult, especially when you're working together. But…I'd like to keep it going for as long as possible"

"I'd like so too" said Arcee "Well, we'd better treasure this moment. Once Shockwave's done with Earth, he'll probably have us sent off to separate cells. I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm okay with this" At that moment, the door to the cell opened up wide causing the two of them to sit up abruptly.

"Hold that thought" said Bumblebee.

"Good, this is the right cell" said a silhouette in the doorway.

"Who are you?" asked Arcee.

"Don't you recognize your old commander?" replied the silhouette.

"Old commander?" said Arcee. The silhouette stepped forward, revealing itself to be Elita One, holding her iconic sword which was dripping with energon. "Elita One!" Arcee leapt to feet and helped Bumblebee up.

"Thank Primus that monster hasn't move you yet" said Elita "It would have been almost impossible to locate you after that"

"But…But I thought…we all thought that you were dead" said Bumblebee.

"It's true that was separated for a time, but I found my way back to Autobot forces" said Elita "I only wished I could accompany you and Optimus on the _Ark_ as we all had intended. Now quickly, we have to get out of here"

"And where to?" asked Mirage "This tower is armed to the teeth and they can see your every move, not even my cloaking device is effective against them"

"Which is why we have to get out of here before the security hacking wares off" said Elita. At that moment, there was the sound of an explosion and a loud rumble.

"What was that?" asked Arcee.

"That would be the planted bombs on the energon rods going off" replied Elita.

"Bombs?" asked Bumblebee.

"I'll explain later" replied Elita "We have to go now"

 _Meanwhile_

"Sir, the energon rods have been destroyed" said a Vehicon at the controls "A group of Autobots appear to have planted bombs there. We've already captured them"

"Keep them outside the tower for the time being" said Shockwave "With security down, we cannot risk anything. Send all available Vehicons to the holding cell corridor. Without visuals or alarms, we cannot allow the Autobot prisoners to escape"

"Yes sir" said the Vehicon.

"Make contact with Megatron on Earth" said Shockwave "He needs to know of this"

"Sir, communications are down" said another Vehicon at the controls "We cannot make contact with anyone; not Megatron, not even our squads"

"It would appear that the Autobots hit us with everything they had" said Shockwave "Use comlink to communicate with the Vehicons squads"

"Yes sir" said the Vehicon.

"The rest of you, put all effort into communications" said Shockwave "We have to make sure Megatron knows of what just happened"

 _Meanwhile_

A group of Vehicons blocked Elita and the others of in the corridor.

"Freeze, Autobots!" said a Vehicon as it and the others raised their blasters towards them.

"Get behind me" said Elita. Bumblebee, Arcee, and Mirage gathered behind her as she raised her sword again. "Stand aside, we have are only to leave"

"We can't allow you to do that" said the Vehicon "Surrender or we'll shoot without mercy"

"I don't want to fight you" said Elita "But neither can I risk everything I came here for. Stay behind me" She charged forward, cutting down the Vehicons in her path. "C'mon! We're almost at the exit!" They bolted down the corridor.

"After them!" said a Vehicon. The Vehicons charged after them, firing wildly. The four of them eventually reached a speeder that was parked just outside a smashed open window.

"Hop on" said Elita. She jumped into the pilot's seat with the other three leaping into the passenger seats and she sped off quick leaving the Vehicons to shoot at them.

"Commander, we've lost the Autobots" said a Vehicon into his comlink "Do you wish us to pursue?"

"Leave them" replied Shockwave out of his comlink "A chase would is illogical, it would only waste our resources. We must spend our energies on repairing the security and communications systems"

 _Meanwhile_

"And then I tried to escape but got shot down and landed not far from here" said Slipstream who sat on a large rock telling her story to the Autobots "When I woke up, I managed whatever strength I had left to drag myself away before they'd arrive"

"Why come to us?" asked Prowl.

"I tried my comlink but it wasn't working" replied Slipstream "It must have got busted in my landing"

"That aside, why should we trust you?" asked Prowl.

"You serious?!" said Slipstream "I come here and tell you that Blackout is about to do something crazy and all you can think about is whether or not I can be trusted?"

"For all we know this could be a trick" said Prowl "And I'm not prepared to take that risk"

"Taking that risk is the lesser of two evils, Prowl" said Jazz "We've seen the lengths Blackout is willing to take. Whatever reasons he wants the space bridge for; we can't just sit by and assume there's going to be nothing. We have to be prepared" Suddenly, the sound of blaster bolts and exclamations hit the air.

"Well, something's happening" said Bulkhead. They looked out over the plains and saw Barricade and his Vehicons fighting off the Decepticon forces and turrets surrounding the space bridge.

"Looks like the attacks begun" said Jazz.

"If this is a hoax, it's pretty elaborate" said Hound.

"Now do you believe me?" asked Slipstream. Prowl was silent for a moment.

"This certainly adds more fuel to the fire" said Prowl.

"How are we supposed to get to the space bridge now?" asked Bulkhead. Prowl looked out and examined the battle.

"They may have just given us an opening" said Prowl "While the Decepticons are distracted with the battle itself, we can carefully sneak around the side and into the space bridge unnoticed"

"So if the outsides Decepticons and turrets, what's on the top?" asked Jazz.

"Soundwave's in charge of security" replied Slipstream "He'll overlook any attack until it reaches him, then he'll give you everything he's got"

"Then let's head around the side then" said Ironhide.

"Make sure it's subtle" said Prowl "We don't want anyone noticing"

 _Meanwhile_

"Why are you doing this, Barricade?" asked Dead End as he battled with Barricade.

"I have no choice" said Barricade "Blackout's crazy and he'll destroy me because of it"

"You're weak if you listen to him!" said Hailstorm as he fired rockets at Barricade who dodged them.

"Listen to him?" said Barricade "He's some kind of megalomaniac"

"We're still on opposite sides, you know that" said Dead End.

"Not quite" said Barricade "I need your help; if he sees me even reach my comlink, he'll shoot me immediately. I need one of you to contact Megatron and—" Suddenly, Blackout leapt down and landed on top of Hailstorm.

"By the AllSpark!" exclaimed Dead End. He started shooting at Blackout who merely wacked him to the side.

"Do you think I can't hear you from across the battlefield?" said Blackout. Barricade sighed. Suddenly, there was a loud sonic boom and Blackout turned around just in time to catch Thundercracker in midair who transformed back.

"What the heck!" exclaimed Thundercracker.

"Your sonic boom gave you away" said Blackout "I'd call it poor timing" He punched Thundercracker out and threw him to the side. At that moment, Skywarp teleported behind him and started sneaking up on him; but Blackout turned around and kicked him across the battlefield. "And you have a great ability but lack the right mind to use it to its full potential" He walked over to Skywarp and stamped on his face. He then looked up to the control panel at the top of the space bridge where Soundwave sat and watched. He gestured and Blitzwing and Astrotrain transformed into their aerial modes and flew down. "You all handle the triple-changers, I'll handle Soundwave" He transformed and flew up to the platforms just before Blitzwing and Astrotrain transformed back to robot mode and landed.

"Prepare yourself to die, Autobots" said Blitzwing " **Because I'm going to pumble you into the core of this planet!** _Yes! DIE DIE DIE!_ " Blackout transformed and landed on the platform in front of Soundwave who leapt down in front of him.

"For whatever reasons your attack is for, Blackout, it ends now" said Soundwave.

"Ends?" said Blackout "It has only just begun. So I'll put it this way: surrender now and you may just walk away from this unharmed"

"Surrender is not an option" said Soundwave "Laserbeak, Ravage: Eject. Operation: Defense" Laserbeak and Ravage were ejected.

"Shame" said Blackout. Behind his back he held a small grenade-like object which he subtly dropped onto the platform, sending out an electrical wave which stunned both Soundwave and Ravage but left him unharmed. Laserbeak screeched and flew down towards him but he caught the bird in midair and threw him onto the ground. "Bird-brain" At that moment, Barricade and the Vehicons arrived up onto the platform.

"How were you not stunned by that electrical surge?" asked Barricade.

"When I escaped incarceration I repaired myself and gave absorbent padding on my feet to avoid being harmed on electrical surfaces" replied Blackout "Now come on, we've got work to do"

"I don't get it; why go to the trouble?" asked Barricade "You could just do that electrical footstep thing to take out the space bridge"

"The absorbent padding does not allow that to happen" replied Blackout "Besides, this way we can make sure there's nothing to repair"

"Not another step, Blackout" said a voice. Blackout turned around to see Prowl and the others had arrived and had their weapons pointed at them.

"Autobot resistance" said Blackout "I expected something like this; but I didn't the likes of you, Commander Slipstream"

"At least they're not crazy like you" said Slipstream. Blackout laughed.

"I'm merely being the realist here" said Blackout "Allow me to explain; for too long has the safety of Cybertron been a crutch for us, I'm just going to remove the problem. With Cybertron gone, our race can start anew. I've taken it upon myself to perform this task"

"This is genocide" said Slipstream.

"It is the greater good" said Blackout "Foundations are forged in fire, but the flame must first be set"

"And you think destroying the space bridge is going to automatically make everything better?" said Prowl.

"It is a start" said Blackout.

"You don't understand, do you?" said Prowl "Cybertron is not meant to be in orbit of a smaller planet. You may not realize it yet, but it is on a slow collision course towards Earth. If we leave it for too long, it'll crash destroying both worlds and countless lives on both of them, including your own"

"Did you really think I was not prepared for that?" said Blackout.

"Not at all" said Prowl "But I doubt your helpers are willing to, especially considering it's unlikely that Megatron would give them a safe route offworld with the _Nemesis_ " At that moment, Barricade and the Vehicons looked at each other before pointing their blasters at Blackout.

"What are you doing?" asked Blackout.

"I only did what you said because you had me outnumbered" replied Barricade "But now it looks like you're outnumbered"

"It's over, Blackout" said Prowl.

"You're right, it is" said Blackout. Suddenly, he turned his hands into his cannons and fired them at the control pad, reducing it into a black and tarred mess and causing the portal to disappear.

"No!" exclaimed Prowl. Everyone started shooting at Blackout who transformed and flew away at an alarming speed.

"Honestly, I don't think that was going to end well" said Jazz.

"Prowl, the space bridge's portal has disappeared" said Ratchet out of Prowl's comlink "What's happened?"

"Blackout destroyed the console causing the portal to go offline" replied Prowl into his comlink.

"Is he…never mind" said Ratchet "Wait for me, I'm coming"

"What are we going to do now?" asked Bulkhead.

"Our only hope to save both Cybertron and Earth is to repair the space bridge and send Cybertron back as quickly as possible" replied Prowl.

"I'm no expert on bridges and whatnot, but I can tell that that's just no repairable" said Wheeljack whilst examining the control pad.

"If we don't try, we've already lost" said Prowl. Jazz looked around.

"Wait, where's Slipstream gone?" asked Jazz.

 _Meanwhile_

"The portal's disappeared" said Bumblebee.

"That's just not good" said Arcee "How are we going to get Cybertron back now?"

"That's what we're about to find out" replied Elita "We're here" As they sped forward, they reached a shadowy and ruined city.

"Is that…Iacon?" asked Bumblebee.

"What's left of it" replied Elita. They flew down and landed outside a small building. Elita placed her hand on a pad that scanned her palm and opened the door in front of them. As they entered the building, they entered a large lab filled with gadgets and contraptions.

"What is this place?" asked Mirage.

"I suppose you could call it HQ" replied Elita. They reached an elderly figured who was tinkering with a device. "I'm back and I brought visitors"

"So you have" said the figure. He turned around and revealed himself to be Alpha Trion. "And not a moment too soon"

"Alpha Trion!" exclaimed Bumblebee and Arcee simultaneously.

 _Meanwhile_

Devastator roared and threw Slug aside again before the other members of Grimlock's team rammed into him simultaneously.

"Nothing can stop the Devastator!" snarled Devastator.

"As you keep saying!" said Grimlock before biting right into Devastator's arm. As Optimus and Megatron clashed, Megatron looked up into the sky and noticed that the portal was missing.

"The space bridge!" exclaimed Megatron "What have you done?!"

"I have done nothing" replied Optimus "What benefits would destroying the space bridge have for me?" Megatron barred his teeth.

"Lord Megatron, Blackout's gone crazy and destroyed the space bridge's controls" said Barricade out of Megatron's comlink "We're trying to repair it now"

"Make it fast" said Megatron into his comlink "Well, it looks like you're not to blame after all" With a sudden sweep, he knocked Optimus's axe out of his hands with his mace and kicked him back. "But that still does not improve your position" He raised his mace and slammed it down onto Optimus, who retracted out his blades and blocked the mace with them. "It would seem that you've still got some fight left in you, Prime"

"I will fight to my last breath!" said Optimus.

"Poor choice of words!" said Megatron.

 _Meanwhile_

Alpha Trion got out a pen-like device which he used to unlock Bumblebee, Arcee, and Mirage's collars.

"Thanks" said Bumblebee "That feels better"

"I've been working on this for a long time, good thing it came to good use eventually" said Alpha Trion "Very few prisoners ever escape from Shockwave alive. May I ask where the others are?"

"I'm sorry" said Elita "They've been captured. We only had one chance of taking down that thing and we weren't going to waste it. We all knew the risks"

"That's saddening to hear" said Alpha Trion "Hopefully we can rescue them eventually"

"That's going to require a lot of planning and preparation" said Elita.

"So how did you know that we were captured?" asked Arcee.

"We found out at the last minute" replied Elita "We had been planning an assault on Shockwave's base for a long time to take down those energon rods, but then we saw you being taken inside and decided to alter the plans" Bumblebee and Arcee looked down in an ashamed fashion. "Don't worry; we all knew that it was likely we weren't going to escape, even with the original plan"

"We still have one more issue at hand" said Alpha Trion "We need to send Cybertron and everything on it back to where it belongs"

"But without the space bridge, how is that possible?" asked Bumblebee.

"There is one way we can it out of here" replied Alpha Trion "But we must move quickly. Come"

 _Meanwhile_

Blackout sat cross-legged and watched Cybertron up in the sky.

"Enjoying the view, huh?" said a voice. Blackout turned around and saw Slipstream.

"Someone like you will never understand what is really important" said Blackout as he stood up "This…This is my legacy. Years from now, generations will look back and understand the importance of what I have done"

"For that to work, you need witnesses" said Slipstream "And preferably ones who agree with you"

"A confrontation is pointless" said Blackout "Do you really want to spend the last moments of your life in pain"

"Getting crushed by a planet sounds pretty painful to me anyway" said Slipstream "So I say "bring it on"!" Blackout smirked.

"This time rules and regulations won't save you" said Blackout. Slipstream fired her rockets at him but he leapt up into the air and rocketed down towards her, but she dodged to the side and avoided him. "That wing still doesn't look repaired, and thus makes transformation pointless"

"Just shut up!" snapped Slipstream. She turned her hands into her blasters and shot at Blackout, but he retaliated by turning his hands into his blades and slashing towards her.

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee, Arcee, Mirage, Elita, and Alpha Trion had zoomed out on Elita's speeder where they had reached a large well-like hole in the middle of the plains where they were now scaling down via cable.

"So; unless I'm much mistaken, this giant abyss we're in is the legendary Well of All Sparks" said Arcee.

"You are correct" said Alpha Trion.

"Wow!" said Bumblebee "This place is…huge"

"This place is biblical" said Arcee "This is where the original protoforms emerged from during the early days of Cybertron. This chasm leads straight…straight to the core. Wait, are we going to the core of Cybertron?"

"Correct" said Alpha Trion.

"Woah!" said Arcee. They eventually scaled down to the bottom of the chasm where the giant orb known none other than the core lay right at the center of the chamber.

"So what are we doing here?" asked Bumblebee.

"As you may recall, Cybertron's core shut down long ago due to the war's effects on it making the planet's surface uninhabitable by many means" replied Alpha Trion as he walked over to the core "But now it must be woken up, long enough for it to return to where it belongs"

"Woken up?" said Bumblebee.

"Cybertron's core is alive" said Alpha Trion "The shutdown was its slumber to help it survive and recover"

"Then if you can wake it up then why did we need to find the AllSpark in the first place?" asked Arcee.

"I can only keep it awake for a brief time, any longer and it could risk further damage" replied Alpha Trion "Only the AllSpark can truly repair to its former glory before the war" He raised his walking stick and jammed it straight into the center of the core. Various markings on the stick lit up in bright blue which soon carried onto the core itself. And that's when it happened; a giant godlike Cybertronian lit up blue just like the stick and the core emerged from the core.

"I have heard your plea, my child" said the giant "Do not fear, I will return to where I belong" It disappeared.

"Elita, get Bumblebee and Arcee out of here" said Alpha Trion. Elita nodded and brought Bumblebee, Arcee, and Mirage out of the chamber.

 _Meanwhile_

Ratchet desperately tried to fix the space bridge control pad.

"Hurry up" said Prowl "How much harder could this be from a ground bridge?"

"If I could make a space bridge so easily, do you think we'd still be stranded here?" said Ratchet "Ground bridges are much simpler; and this control pad is fried, making it even harder" He slammed his fist down onto it. "Oh; it's useless! There's nothing we can salvage from this!" He fell to his knees in despair. "I…I can't…I can't do this…"

"Woah!" said Jazz as he looked up into the sky "Ratchet, you may want to have a look at this" Ratchet looked up into the sky and saw Cybertron which was now glowing bright blue and was slowly edging away from Earth.

"By the AllSpark!" said Ratchet. Suddenly, a blue light struck down in front of the space bridge and the giant appeared in front of them.

"Fear not, my children" said the giant "Soon your world will return to where it belongs" The giant suddenly disappeared.

"Who was that?" asked Bulkhead.

"Primus…" said Ratchet under his breath.

 _Meanwhile_

Elita brought Bumblebee, Arcee, and Mirage back to Alpha Trion's lab.

"We need to get you three back to Earth now" said Elita "If what Alpha Trion told me is true, the journey back will be almost instantaneous and I imagine Optimus still needs you" When he heard this; Mirage walked over to window, had a long look outside, and sighed.

"Agreed" said Bumblebee "But how are we supposed to get back?"

"With this" said Elita. She walked over to a large pod and opened the door. "Hop in" Bumblebee and Arcee walked over to the pod and entered it with Mirage following them shortly.

"How do we start this thing?" asked Bumblebee.

"Just press the button" replied Elita "And when you get back, tell Optimus that…that I'm okay"

"You're not joining us back?" asked Arcee.

"I'm staying here" replied Elita "I've still got much to do"

"But you could come with us" said Arcee "We need more help and you could meet Optimus again. I'm just mentioning that you're throwing away—"

"Just go, now!" said Elita before she slammed the door. Bumblebee pressed the button and the pod fired off towards Earth with Elita watching on before she slouched back down and face-palmed herself.

 _Meanwhile_

Megatron fired his fusion cannon right at Optimus who dodged the shot.

"You can't keep this up forever, Prime" said Megatron "You'll tire out eventually"

"You know that I won't stop, Megatron" said Optimus.

"I never said that and nor do I deny it" said Megatron "But you will tire, which will make killing you all the easier" He retracted out his blade and struck forward.

"Die now!" snarled Devastator as he slammed his fist straight down at Grimlock and his team.

"We can't stop this thing" said Snarl.

"We have to do something" said Swoop "Otherwise we're dead meat" Grimlock peered off over at the edge of the ship.

"I think I have something" said Grimlock "I'll lead him to the ledge and keep him distracted. When I give you the signal, give him everything you've got. And Sludge, finish him off with a ram"

"Got it" said Sludge. Grimlock transformed and ran over towards Devastator and bit onto him by the wrist before being shaken off. He rushed over to the edge of the _Nemesis_ where Devastator cornered him.

"Are you ready to die, Autobot?" said Devastator as he pounded his fists together.

"Not today" said Grimlock. He raised his fist to signal the others who turned their hands into blasters and shot wildly at Devastator, sending him back. Sludge transformed and charged right into Devastator, knocking him right off the ledge and down towards the ground below.

"You missed this, didn't you?" said Megatron as he clashed with Optimus "Everything seemed different without me, you of all should admit that"

"I never wanted to kill you, Megatron" said Optimus "But you have left me with little choice"

"Such tenacity" said Megatron. Suddenly, he swung down and stabbed Optimus in the side with his blade. "If you had it years ago, none of this would have happened" He kicked Optimus off and sent him rolling away. As Optimus lifted his head up, he looked over at his axe which was lying a few feet away. He slowly reached out for it as Megatron came charging at him with his fusion cannon charged up. "At least you'll down in history as the last Prime, Optimus!" Optimus gripped onto his axe tight.

"No, Megatron!" said Optimus. As Megatron reach him, Optimus swung up and performed a powerful uppercut which sent Megatron back. He then walked over to the Decepticon leader and loomed over him.

"Going to finish it this time?" said Megatron "Or is it going to repeat itself again?" Optimus raised up his axe above Megatron's head. "I guess that answers my question"

"No!" exclaimed a voice. Lugnut zoomed down, rammed right into Optimus, transformed, and began beating him continuously. "You will not harm Lord Megatron!" Suddenly, Grimlock grabbed his fist and pulled him back.

"Leave him, you Hammer Head!" snarled Grimlock. He pushed Lugnut off into Megatron who immediately got up himself and Megatron up. Grimlock helped Optimus up. "I'm going to split your head in two, Megatron!"

"No, we have to get out of here" said Swoop whilst stepping in Grimlock's way.

"Out of my way, Swoop!" said Grimlock.

"We've already won this battle, Grimlock" said Snarl "If we go on any longer, we will risk losing" Grimlock looked between Megatron and the rest of his team.

"Fine!" said Grimlock. They all turned and climbed off the _Nemesis_.

"Well done, Optimus" said Megatron "Even after all these years, you can still surprise me"

 _Meanwhile_

Slipstream and Blackout brawled until Blackout grabbed Slipstream by the wrist, continuously smacked her against a large rock, and threw her to the ground. He turned his hand back into his roto blades and raised them up high, ready to finish her off. However, he was immediately distracted when he looked up at Cybertron, which was now glowing bright blue.

"Cybertron…" said Blackout "It's…alive!" Slipstream kicked him in the leg and ran off. As Blackout got himself up, a wave of light struck down behind him and the giant appeared who looked down at him with an emotionless and neutral sense of disdain. Blackout tried to run but the giant grabbed ahold of him and pulled him up to eye level. Blackout took one looked into his eyes and instantly realized that he was looking at none other than Primus himself. The giant looked back up at Cybertron which was getting further and further away, turned back into a wave of light, and shot back up at Cybertron with Slipstream looking on with shock.

 _Later_

"I would never have suspected that Blackout was that deranged" said Megatron as he and Soundwave walked down the halls of the _Nemesis_ "He really lost his way" At that moment, Barricade rushed up to Megatron.

"Lord Megatron, you have to see this" said Barricade. He brought Megatron and Soundwave over to the cells and opened Starscream's cell revealing that the only thing in there was the body of a dead Vehicon.

"Has there been any sight of him since?" asked Megatron.

"No sir" replied Barricade.

"Should I send out a search party, my lord?" asked Soundwave.

"No, he's probably way ahead of us by now" replied Megatron "Besides; we have more important things to adjourn to. But I guarantee; as soon as I see Starscream again, I will rip him apart by the spine"

 _Meanwhile_

As the _Nemesis_ flew of, Starscream stood on the ground and watched it carefully.

"I will show you the true meaning of power, Megatron!" said Starscream. He transformed and flew off.

 _Meanwhile_

"Looks like everything's getting back to normal" said Ratchet as he watched the environment of the world through Teletraan I.

"Not quite" said Bluestone "The whole world was affected and it will take a lot of time. And on top of all that, we'll have to find an explanation for these natural disasters"

"It's better than the alternative" said Prowl "We're lucky that the Earth survived this. Where is Bumblebee and Arcee?"

"They said that they're dropping the kids off" replied Ratchet. Optimus sat in the corner and looked down at his axe when Grimlock walked over to him.

"I have to give you credit, Prime; you really were willing to go through with it" said Grimlock.

"But I ultimately didn't do it, and Megatron still lives" said Optimus.

"Then you'll just have to get him next time" said Grimlock.

"True" said Optimus "I only fear that the more time he's out there, the more damage he will cause"

 _Meanwhile_

Bumblebee and Arcee drove up to Melody's house and parked at the curb.

"Well, here we are" said Bumblebee.

"Thanks for the ride, Bee" said Melody "Well, I guess it's time to get grounded for life" As she turned to leave Bumblebee, Bobby grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Wait, what if…what if you actually told her?" asked Bobby "I mean, about the Autobots and everything"

"I wish I could, but the Autobots are right" replied Melody "The less people know about the transformers, the better. If I want things to stay stable, I have to face the music" She stepped out of Bumblebee, took a deep breath in, walked over to her house, and entered it. "Mom, I'm home" There was no reply. "Mom?" As Bobby and Kate sat in Bumblebee, Melody bolted out of the house, ran over, and opened the door wide.

"What's wrong?" asked Kate.

"It's Mom, she's gone!" replied Melody.

"What happened?" asked Bobby.

"I don't know" replied Melody "She's gone without a trace"

 _Meanwhile_

Megatron, Soundwave, and Slipstream flew down into a large chasm where they landed in front of the entrance to a base.

"This is it" said Megatron "This is where I emerged after I was repaired" Soundwave extended one of his tentacles out which attached to the pad near the door.

"So what are we doing here?" asked Slipstream.

"Your brother Starscream is a traitor and Commander Blackout is dead; but we will survive, we always will" said Megatron. The door opened up and they entered it. They walked down the halls until they reached Flatline's lab.

"Back now, Crankcase?" said Flatline "I was wondering when—" He turned around to see Megatron standing before him. "By the AllSpark!"

"Crankcase won't be back again anytime soon" said Megatron "You work for me now, understand?"

"Yes, my lord" replied Flatline whilst bowing "Right this way, there's something I have to show you" He brought the three of them to a door that lay to the right of the lab and opened it, and what inside made their sparks almost stop. The door had led to a chamber that was filled with tanks filled with a yellow liquid that contained creatures of various shapes and sizes.

"Most impressive" said Megatron "How long have you been working on this?"

"Ever since I arrived on Earth a few months ago" replied Flatline.

"Does Crankcase know of this?" asked Megatron.

"No one does" replied Flatline "I had intended it to be a surprise for when he came back"

"Then we have ourselves the perfect secret weapons" said Megatron "With a new army of beastly prowess, no one could possibly stand in our way; not even Optimus Prime" At the center of the room was a tank which contained a creature that resembled a coiled up scorpion which slowly uncoiled and opened all four of its eyes and looked around.

 _The End?_

 **Author's note #1** : Blackout's story was inspired by Zhao from _Avatar: The Last Airbender_.

 **Author's note #2** : Well; that's season one all done, I hope you all enjoyed it. I plan to release season two sometime next year. Until then, see you all.

 **Hellman76** : I actually hadn't planned on bringing the Technobots in, I just hadn't thought about it.

 **RoboDiamondDragon09** : Well, I hope you enjoyed the finale; and don't worry, there are more seasons on the way ;)


End file.
